A North Miami Beach mother is facing child neglect charges after police say she left her four children—including a 2-month-old infant—alone while she went on a weekend cruise.
Nathalie Belizaire, 29, was arrested on four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. According to police, the father of her youngest child became concerned after seeing a WhatsApp post suggesting Belizaire had purchased a cruise ticket.
When he visited her apartment Saturday night, he reportedly saw the television on and heard the children inside. Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue then forced entry and found all four children hiding together in the bathroom without adult supervision.
Authorities said Belizaire had told the children’s great-grandmother that she would drop them off before leaving town, but never did. Investigators later determined that she had purchased a three-day Carnival Conquest cruise to the Bahamas.
Belizaire was arrested Monday after disembarking at PortMiami. She declined to provide a statement and invoked her right to remain silent.
At her bond hearing, Judge Mindy Glazer set bail at $10,000 and ordered Belizaire to stay away from the children.
“You cannot make this up. It says she went on a cruise and left her children home alone,” Glazer said. “These poor kids, four of them, were home alone for three days…I’m just grateful nothing worse happened to these kids.”
Belizaire’s attorney said she denies the allegations. The children are safe and have been placed in foster care.