Batarti Gabbard faces second-degree custodial interference charges after allegedly attempting to lure children into a Waikīkī hotel room.

Batarti Gabbard, the 55-year-old older brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was charged with second-degree custodial interference following a "stranger danger" incident in Honolulu. Police allege that on July 12, Batarti Gabbard approached several children, including a 9-year-old boy, at a Waikīkī hotel pool. He reportedly asked for their names, wrote them in a notebook, and offered them money and gum to accompany him to his hotel room. The children refused the invitation, and Gabbard subsequently walked away. The incident occurred while Batarti Gabbard was experiencing a mental health episode, according to his parents, Hawaii state Sen. Mike Gabbard and Carol Gabbard. They noted that he had been acting erratically due to marijuana use and was admitted to Queen’s Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. While Batarti Gabbard was previously arrested for a separate theft offense, he pleaded not guilty to that charge and was released. He remains under observation as his family seeks his recovery from his recent period of erratic behavior.

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