The two Dhaliwal brothers, known for their involvement in the 2007 San Francisco Zoo tiger attack, were arrested in San Mateo Wednesday after being pulled over and found with an open bottle of vodka in their car, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's office.
Amritpal Dhaliwal, 21, the younger of the two brothers, was booked into San Mateo County jail on a parole violation, Assistant District Attorney Morley Pitt said. He is expected to appear in court this afternoon to face a charge of false identification for allegedly giving a fake name to the officer who pulled them over.
His brother, Kulbir Dhaliwal, 25, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and resisting arrest, according to Pitt.
A San Mateo police officer pulled them over at about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. Highway 101 near Peninsula Avenue after observing their car swerving onto the road's shoulder, Pitt said.
The officer smelled marijuana and spotted an open bottle of Grey Goose vodka in the car, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Kulbir Dhaliwal was given a breath test and was found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.10, Wagstaffe said.
Meanwhile, Amritpal Dhaliwal, when asked for his identification, gave the name Tarlock Dhaliwal, Wagstaffe said.
The officer eventually learned the brothers' true identities and discovered that Amritpal Dhaliwal was on parole for a felony conviction in Santa Clara County for failing to yield to a police officer, Pitt said.
Both brothers were taken into custody but Kulbir Dhaliwal was released on his own recognizance after promising to appear in San Mateo County Superior Court on Sept. 17 to be arraigned.
Amritpal Dhaliwal is expected to make an appearance with an attorney from the private defender program and enter a plea at 1:30 p.m. today in Redwood City.
The brothers made headlines after they survived a tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo on Dec. 25, 2007. The tiger that escaped its enclosure killed their friend, Carlos Sousa Jr., and injured the brothers before being shot dead by police.
Bay City News
