Bhakti ‘Batarti’ Gabbard, 55, the older brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was arrested in Waikīkī, Hawaii on July 12 after allegedly approaching children near a hotel pool, writing their names in a notebook and offering them cash and chewing gum to accompany him to his room, with his family attributing the incident to a mental health episode, according to the Daily Mail.
The brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is facing serious criminal charges after an alarming incident at a Waikīkī hotel that his family says was triggered by a mental health crisis.
Bhakti ‘Batarti’ Gabbard, 55, was arrested on Friday and charged with second-degree custodial interference after allegedly approaching several children — including a nine-year-old boy — near a hotel pool on July 12, according to Honolulu police. He reportedly asked for the children’s names, recorded them in a notebook, and offered money and chewing gum in exchange for accompanying him to his room. The children refused. A 42-year-old woman witnessed the incident and reported it to authorities.
The arrest came just one day after Gabbard was separately arrested for theft, to which he pleaded not guilty on Friday morning before being released. Hours before the hotel incident, he had posted on social media promoting a new music career, declaring himself on the verge of fame and referring to himself as “Jim Morrison Jr.”
His parents, Hawaii state Senator Mike Gabbard and wife Carol, said in a statement to KITV that their son had been “acting erratically” for several days following drug use, had given his car away to a homeless person, lost his ID and phone, and had been sleeping on the streets after his wife Kimberly kicked him out of their home. They said he had “been doing well for the last 10 years” before the episode began.
After his Friday release, a family member took Gabbard to Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu, where he allegedly told doctors a blood test would reveal cocaine, ice and marijuana in his system. His wife subsequently filed a petition for a protective order citing fears for her safety — a petition a family court judge denied on Friday. Gabbard has been placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold. Senator Gabbard told Fox News: “We love him, and asked him to follow the protocol at the hospital, which he says he will do. We’re praying for his speedy recovery.”
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