Bhakti Gabbard, the brother of former National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, has been charged with attempting to lure children into his hotel room at a Waikīkī hotel pool area in Hawaii on July 12. According to the Honolulu Police Department, Gabbard, 55, allegedly approached several children, including a 9-year-old boy, offering them money to come to his hotel room. When the children refused, he reportedly asked for their names and wrote them down before leaving the area.
Gabbard was arrested on July 16 in connection with a separate theft offense and has been charged with second-degree custodial interference related to the incident. He has pleaded not guilty. His parents, Hawaii state Senator Mike Gabbard and Carol Gabbard, stated that their son has been experiencing mental health issues, which they attributed to recent erratic behavior following substance use. They mentioned that he had been living on the streets after being kicked out of his home and had given away his car.
Following the incident, a family member took Gabbard for a psychological evaluation at Queen’s Hospital, where he was admitted for a 72-hour hold for monitoring. Tulsi Gabbard, his sister, was not available for comment. This incident follows previous media attention on the Gabbard family, including a report on their ties to Chris Butler, the leader of the Science of Identity Foundation, an alt-right sect of Hinduism.