Batarti Gabbard, the 55-year-old older brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, has been charged with second-degree custodial interference after allegedly trying to lure several children to his hotel room at a Waikīkī property, offering them gum and money, Fox News Digital reported.
The alleged incident took place around 2 p.m. on July 12 at the pool area of an unnamed hotel in Waikīkī, Honolulu. Honolulu police say Gabbard approached several children, including a 9-year-old boy, asked for their names, wrote them in a notebook, and then offered money and gum if they would accompany him to his hotel room. The children refused. Gabbard walked away.
A 42-year-old woman who witnessed the encounter reported it to police. The charge that followed, second-degree custodial interference, carries its own weight in a state where protecting children from strangers is taken seriously by law enforcement. No court date has been set on that charge.
The custodial interference charge was not the only brush with the law for Batarti Gabbard in recent days. KITV reported that he was also arrested on July 16 on separate theft charges. He pleaded not guilty to the theft count and was released from custody. His next court appearance on the theft charge is scheduled for August 14.
Honolulu police confirmed to Fox News Digital that Gabbard is no longer in custody on either matter.
The details of the theft charge, what was allegedly stolen, where, and under what circumstances, have not been disclosed publicly. Whether the July 12 pool incident and the July 16 theft arrest are connected remains unclear.
Hawaii state Sen. Mike Gabbard, Batarti's father, declined to discuss the specific allegations against his son. He did confirm that Batarti continues to receive medical and psychiatric treatment, though he did not name the facility or describe the nature of the treatment.
The elder Gabbard told Fox News Digital:
"We love him, and asked him to follow the protocol at the hospital, which he says he will do."
He added:
"We're praying for his speedy recovery, and would appreciate the prayers of others."
Those are the words of a father in a difficult moment. They also leave significant questions unanswered, chief among them, how long Batarti Gabbard has been receiving psychiatric care, what condition prompted it, and whether that treatment was ongoing at the time of the alleged incident at the hotel pool.
Fox News Digital reached out to Tulsi Gabbard through her public office and left a voicemail requesting comment. She did not immediately respond. Gabbard stepped down as Director of National Intelligence earlier this year, citing her husband's cancer battle.
Her tenure atop the intelligence community drew both praise from the right and fierce opposition from establishment figures. During her final hours in office, she moved to release declassified documents related to Anthony Fauci and Wuhan lab funding, a decision that cemented her reputation as a disruptor willing to challenge entrenched bureaucracies.
Her departure triggered its own controversy. Reports emerged that CIA officials removed JFK and MKUltra files from her office during a government shutdown, a move that raised serious questions about institutional transparency.
After Gabbard left, the White House moved quickly to fill the vacancy. President Trump tapped housing chief Bill Pulte as acting intelligence director to maintain continuity at the ODNI.
The criminal case against Batarti Gabbard is in its early stages. Several basic questions remain open. The name of the Waikīkī hotel has not been released. The total number of children allegedly approached, described only as "several", has not been specified. Whether Gabbard was a registered guest at the hotel is unknown.
His psychiatric treatment history is another gap. Mike Gabbard's statement references a "hospital" and "protocol," suggesting structured care. But the timeline of that care, whether it predates the July 12 incident or began afterward, is not established in public reporting.
The charge itself, second-degree custodial interference, is a specific legal category. It does not carry the same weight as more serious charges that could apply if investigators uncover additional evidence. But for the parents of the children who were at that pool on July 12, the allegations alone are alarming enough: an adult stranger, a notebook, money, gum, and an invitation to a hotel room.
That a 42-year-old bystander stepped in and reported the encounter to police may be the most reassuring detail in the entire account. Vigilance from ordinary people remains the first line of defense when children are at risk.
The Gabbard family occupies a unique space in Hawaiian and national politics. Mike Gabbard has served in the Hawaii state Senate for years. Tulsi Gabbard rose from congresswoman to presidential candidate to the nation's top intelligence post. The family name carries weight in the islands and beyond.
None of that insulates Batarti Gabbard from the legal process. Nor should it. The charges will proceed on their merits. If the facts support the allegations, accountability should follow. If they don't, the system will sort that out too.
But the public deserves more information than has been provided so far, about the incident, about the theft arrest, and about the psychiatric treatment his family says is underway. A senator's statement asking for prayers is understandable. It is not a substitute for transparency.
When the accused is a private citizen with a famous last name, the instinct to look away is strong. The instinct to look closer is the right one.
