Batarti Gabbard, the older brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, has been charged with second-degree custodial interference after Honolulu police alleged he attempted to lure several children to his Waikīkī hotel room on July 12, 2026. According to police, Gabbard, 55, approached children, including a 9-year-old boy, at a hotel pool, offering them gum and money if they accompanied him to his room. He also asked for their names and wrote them in a notebook. The children refused, and Gabbard walked away. A 42-year-old woman reported the incident to police.
Gabbard’s family confirmed he is undergoing psychiatric treatment. His father, Hawaii state Sen. Mike Gabbard, told Fox News Digital that the family is praying for his recovery and asked others to do the same. Tulsi Gabbard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Police said the incident occurred around 2 p.m. at an unnamed Waikīkī hotel. Gabbard had also been arrested on July 16 on theft charges, to which he pleaded not guilty. Tulsi Gabbard resigned from her position in the Trump administration in June, citing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.