Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 19
Batarti Gabbard Charged in Waikīkī Child-Luring Case Involving a 9-Year-Old
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 19

Batarti Gabbard Charged in Waikīkī Child-Luring Case Involving a 9-Year-Old

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 19

Summary

  • Batarti Gabbard, 55, was charged with second-degree custodial interference after Honolulu police said he tried to lure several children at a Waikīkī hotel pool on July 12.
  • Police said he asked children for their names, wrote them in a notebook, and offered gum and money to go to his hotel room; the children refused and a 42-year-old woman reported the incident.
  • Mike Gabbard, his father and a Hawaii state senator, declined to discuss the allegations but said his son is continuing medical and psychiatric treatment and had been asked to follow hospital protocol.
  • Honolulu police said Gabbard is no longer in custody; KITV reported he was also arrested July 16 on a theft charge, pleaded not guilty Friday, and is due in court Aug. 14 in that case.

Insights

Could Hawaii’s new mental health crisis programs have prevented the Waikīkī pool incident?
When a 'psychotic break' endangers children, where does the line between patient and criminal lie?
How does public scrutiny complicate a family's response to a severe mental health crisis?