Mental Health Crisis Precedes Arrest on Multiple Charges
Arrest followed documented mental health crisis and protective order from family.
Event / Security
Batarti Gabbard Arrest
Batarti Gabbard, brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was charged with custodial interference following an alleged July 2026 incident at a Waikīkī hotel where he reportedly offered incentives to children to accompany him to his room. He was also arrested on theft charges. Family members report he experienced a mental health crisis involving substance use and psychiatric hospitalization.
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2026-08-15 to 2026-11-12 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 20 Jul, 04:29 UTC
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What happened
Family confirms Batarti Gabbard continuing psychiatric treatment
Hawaii state Senator Mike Gabbard, father of Batarti Gabbard, confirmed his son continues to receive medical and psychiatric treatment. He stated the family asked their son to follow hospital protocol and expressed they are praying for his speedy recovery.
Batarti Gabbard charged with second-degree custodial interference in Hawaii
Batarti Gabbard, 55-year-old brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was charged with second-degree custodial interference after an incident at a Waikīkī hotel on July 12, 2026. Police alleged he approached several children at a hotel pool, including a 9-year-old boy, offered them gum and money, asked for their names, wrote them in a notebook, and offered to have them accompany him to his hotel room. The children refused and he walked away. The incident was reported to police by a 42-year-old woman.
Family reports Batarti Gabbard experiencing mental health crisis
Batarti Gabbard's family reported he began acting erratically several days before the July 12 incident, which they attributed to smoking marijuana. His wife kicked him out of the house, after which he slept on the streets, gave away his car to a homeless person, lost his ID and phone, and renamed himself to Batarti and Jim Morrison Jr., claiming to have delusions of being a rock star. A relative took him to a hospital for psychological evaluation. He told doctors his bloodwork would show cocaine and marijuana in his system. He was admitted to the hospital for a 72-hour psychiatric hold for monitoring.
Batarti Gabbard arrested on theft charges in Hawaii
Batarti Gabbard was arrested on July 16, 2026 on charges of theft. He pleaded not guilty to the theft charge on Friday morning, was released, and is scheduled to appear in court on August 14, 2026 for the theft case.
Batarti Gabbard's wife seeks protective order citing bizarre behavior
Kimberly Gabbard, wife of Batarti Gabbard, petitioned for a protective order on Friday citing bizarre behavior he exhibited, including singing loudly and disrupting others in public. In her petition, she stated that family members had repeatedly encouraged him to seek psychiatric treatment due to significant deterioration of his mental state and judgment.
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