Tulsi Gabbard's Older Brother Batarti Gabbard, 55, Arrested After Waikīkī Hotel Pool Incident Involving Children — Details

A Sunday afternoon at a hotel pool led to a police investigation after several children said a stranger approached them with an offer and asked them to go somewhere with him.

Tulsi Gabbard's older brother, 55-year-old Batarti Gabbard, was identified days after the July 12, 2026, encounter in Waikīkī, Hawaii. As details emerged about what he allegedly offered the children and where he wanted to take them, separate concerns raised by his wife and parents revealed how unsettled the preceding days had reportedly become.

What Did Police Initially Know About the Hotel Encounter?

At approximately 2 p.m. on that Sunday, Honolulu police received a report involving an unknown man near the pool area of a Waikīkī hotel. A 42-year-old woman reported the encounter, according to highlights released by the department.

Several children were allegedly approached, including a 9-year-old boy. The man reportedly asked the kids to tell him their names, then recorded those names in a notebook.

Police did not immediately know who he was. In an Instagram alert posted the following day, the department described him as a Caucasian man with gray hair who had been wearing a black shirt, gray shorts, and sunglasses.

He was also said to have been carrying a black backpack and a black laptop-style bag. At that point, investigators asked anyone with information to call 911 or CrimeStoppers at (808) 955-8300.

The most troubling allegation, however, concerned the reason police said he had approached the children.

What Did the Man Allegedly Offer the Children?

According to authorities, the man offered the children gum and money if they would accompany him to his hotel room. Fortunately, the children refused.

Police said the man then walked away, and the kids were left with just the general description provided in the public alert and their side of what had happened beside the pool.

No physical harm to the children was reported in the information released by authorities. Still, the combination of the offer, the requested trip to a private room, and the names written in a notebook led police to investigate the encounter as a stranger danger incident.

For several days, the suspect's identity remained publicly unknown. That changed on July 17, when authorities announced that the man had been identified as a member of one of Hawaii's most recognizable political families.

What Happened After Identifying the Suspect?

In an official update, the Honolulu Police Department identified the suspect as Batarti. He was arrested and charged with second-degree custodial interference after the prosecutor's office reviewed the case.

Batarti remained in custody in connection with that charge. At the time of the update, no court date had been scheduled for the custodial interference case.

Batarti also uses the Hindu name Bhakti, which his family identified as his given name. He is the oldest son of Hawaii State Senator Mike Gabbard and Carol Gabbard, and the older brother of Tulsi, 45, who recently served as Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump's Cabinet from 2025 to 2026.

Batarti's arrest in the hotel pool case was not his only encounter with police that week. He had already been taken into custody one day earlier over an unrelated allegation.

What Happened Before He Was Identified As the Man at the Pool?

Police arrested Batarti on Thursday, July 16, for a separate theft offense. He appeared in court the next morning and pleaded not guilty.

He was released in that matter and given an August 14, 2026, court date. His release in the theft case was followed by the second-degree custodial interference charge connected to the children at the Waikīkī hotel.

As those two cases moved forward separately, Batarti's parents issued a statement describing a severe change they said they had witnessed in their son. Their explanation also offered context for why he had reportedly been living without a stable place to stay.

What Did His Parents Say About His Recent Behavior?

Mike and Carol said their oldest son had experienced mental health issues previously but had been doing well for approximately a decade. They claimed his behavior changed several days before his arrest and attributed the change to marijuana use.

"Our oldest son Bhakti has had mental issues in the past but has been doing well for the last 10 years," they said in a statement shared by KITV. According to his parents, Batarti's wife had told him to leave their home after he began behaving erratically. They said he had consequently been sleeping on the streets.

The couple also claimed that their son gave his vehicle to a homeless person. He had allegedly lost his identification and phone and no longer had money.

Additionally, his parents said he had begun calling himself Batarti as well as Jim Morrison Jr. They believed he was experiencing delusions that he was a rock star.

Their statement brought attention to his recent state of mind, but his wife had already taken her concerns to court. Her filing described an episode that allegedly occurred days before the hotel pool encounter.

Why Did His Wife Seek a Protective Order?

Batarti's wife of nearly 10 years, Kimberly Gabbard, filed a petition for a protective order on Friday, July 17. She wrote that she had feared for her safety on July 11 because her husband was experiencing what she described as a "'gravely disabled' (psychotic break)."

Kimberly alleged that he had behaved unusually at Ala Moana Center, where he sang loudly on the mall's main stage and disrupted other people. Security was eventually called and asked him to leave, according to her filing.

She said she possessed photographs and video documenting his "erratic, impulsive and bizarre behavior." She also wrote that she had not felt comfortable allowing him to drive, but he allegedly became upset and refused to let her take the wheel.

Kimberly told the court that her husband could be mentally ill and using illegal drugs. According to the court filing, she said he had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic features and narcissism.

"His family members and I have repeatedly encouraged him to seek psychiatric treatment due to his significant deterioration of his mental state and judgment," she wrote.

Kimberly said police had instructed her to submit the petition. Family Court Judge Jessi Hall denied it that same day.

The petition did not determine Batarti's guilt in either criminal case, nor did the family's statements offer a legal conclusion about the hotel incident. He pleaded not guilty to the unrelated theft allegation, while the custodial interference charge remained pending without a scheduled court date.