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Who is Batarti Gabbard? Tulsi Gabbard's brother charged after alleged Waikiki 'stranger danger' incident
Batarti Gabbard, brother of Tulsi Gabbard, has been arrested and charged after allegedly approaching children at a Waikiki hotel pool.
The brother of former national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard has been arrested in Hawaii following an alleged incident at a Waikiki hotel. Police later identified the suspect as 55-year-old Batarti Gabbard.
Who is Batarti Gabbard?
Batarti Gabbard who is 55, also known as Bhakti, is the brother of former national intelligence director and former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. He is also the son of state Senator Mike Gabbard, who represents Kapolei, Makakilo, Ewa and Ko Olina.
What happened at the Waikiki hotel
Honolulu Police opened an investigation on July 12, 2026, after getting a report of a “stranger danger” incident at a Waikiki hotel pool area, according to a police press release. At around 2pm local time that day, an unknown man allegedly approached several children, including a 9-year-old boy and offered them gum and money to come with him to his hotel room.
The man also allegedly asked the children for their names and wrote them down in a notebook. The children refused to go with him and he walked away, according to the police release.
Gabbard identified and charged
On July 17, 2026, police identified the suspect as 55-year-old Batarti Gabbard, also known as Bhakti, according to the police press release. He was arrested and charged with custodial interference in the second degree.
Batarti's father, state Senator Mike Gabbard told Hawaii News Now that his son is going through a mental health episode. He said his son has been on drugs and was admitted to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation on Friday afternoon.
Tulsi's husband recovering from cancer surgery
Batarti's sister, Tulsi Gabbard, stepped down as Director of National Intelligence last month to care for her husband, Abraham Williams, who was diagnosed with a rare sacral chordoma, an extremely rare form of bone cancer. In a post on X, she had written, “My husband Abraham was diagnosed with a very rare sacral chordoma. The surgery to remove bone and surrounding tissue lasted almost seven hours and was successful.”
She added, “He had a rough night and is in a lot of pain but is finally home resting. Now recovery begins." Gabbard had informed President Donald Trump of her decision to resign during a meeting in the Oval Office in mid-May, with her last day at ODNI on June 30.
