A Florida woman has been arrested after allegedly leaving her four children, including a two-month-old baby, alone in a North Miami Beach residence while she travelled on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.
Nathalie Belizaire, 29, is facing four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. Her attorney has denied the allegations.
Police became involved after the father of the infant saw a WhatsApp post which appeared to show Belizaire buying a cruise ticket. She allegedly told him the children would be staying with their great-grandmother.
But when he went to Belizaire’s apartment on Saturday night, he saw a television on through the blinds and heard children inside. He called 911, prompting North Miami Beach police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews to attend and force entry.
Officers found all four children inside without adult supervision. Police said the children were hiding together in a bathroom.
Their great-grandmother told investigators that Belizaire had said she would bring the children over because she was going out of town, but never did so. Belizaire’s brother also told police that she had texted him at about 8pm on Saturday, instructing him to check on the children.
Police said they were unable to contact Belizaire. Investigators later found that she had bought a three-day ticket to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Conquest, which was due to sail on September 25.
She was arrested on Monday after disembarking at PortMiami. US Customs and Border Protection took her into custody before she was handed over to North Miami Beach police.
Belizaire declined to give a statement and invoked her right to remain silent, according to police. The children were placed in foster care and authorities said they were safe.
At a bond hearing on Tuesday, a judge set bail at 10,000 US dollars 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,” Judge Mindy Glazer said. “These poor kids, four of them, were home alone for three days … I’m just grateful nothing worse happened to these kids.”
After Belizaire’s lawyer said she denied the allegations, Judge Glazer replied: “Of course she does. The baby was born in July of this year. Who leaves a baby alone like that?”
