Tiger attack brother pounces on not guilty plea

One of two brothers who survived a 2007 tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo but has continuously run into trouble with the law pleaded not guilty yesterday to driving while intoxicated in San Mateo and resisting arrest after being pulled over.

Kulbir Singh Dhaliwal, 25, is free from custody on his own recognizance and appeared in court for the first time Thursday since he and his brother, Amritpal Singh Dhaliwal, 21, were arrested Aug. 5.

Dhaliwal pleaded not guilty and was ordered back with his court-appointed attorney Nov. 10 for a pretrial conference followed by a jury trial Nov. 23.

San Mateo police pulled over the car driven by Kulbir Dhaliwal at approximately 1:45 a.m. after he reportedly drove on the shoulder of Highway 101 near the area of Peninsula Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard. The officer reported smelling marijuana and seeing an open bottle of Grey Goose vodka. Dhaliwal failed field sobriety tests and later blew .10 on a Breathalyzer.

When asked for identification, Amritpal Dhaliwal, in the passenger seat, reportedly told the officer he was "Tarlock Dhaliwal.” The officer later determined Dhaliwal’s true name and that he is on parole. Tarlock Dhaliwal, 26, is the brothers’ older sibling.

The day after the arrest, Amritpal Singh Dhaliwal pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of providing false identification and was immediately sentenced to 10 days jail. He receives credit for two days earned since his Wednesday arrest and must pay $170 in fines. Dhaliwal was on parole at the time of arrest and part of his deal is that the 10-day sentence run concurrent with any time imposed for the parole violation.

The arrests were the latest in a string of run-ins with the law for the pair who made headlines for the incident with Tatiana, the Siberian tiger fatally shot after the Christmas Day 2007 mauling. The 250-pound animal leapt from her enclosure over a too-short wall, injuring the brothers and killing their friend, Carlos Sousa Jr., 17, of San Jose. The brothers ultimately received $900,000 in a civil settlement from the city of San Francisco.

The San Mateo misdemeanors also came two weeks after Kulbir Dhaliwal — and the real Tarlock Dhaliwal — were arrested on suspicion of felony cocaine possession after being stopped near San Jose State University for driving the wrong way. Kulbir Dhaliwal was booked on suspicion of felony cocaine possession while Tarlock Dhaliwal was booked on suspicion of driving while under the influence.

The Dhaliwal brothers’ brushes with the law preceded the widely-publicized tiger attack in which some theorized they taunted the animal prior to its charge.

Kulbir and Amritpal were charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest by San Jose police three months before the fateful trip to the zoo. Amritpal Dhaliwal also has other convictions, including a recent shoplifting incident in San Leandro.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.