Brief
Florida mother arrested after leaving infant and three children alone for cruise
Police say the mother was taken into custody after an arrest report detailed the children being found hidden in a bathroom.
By Felo News Desk · Published
North Miami Beach police arrested 29‑year‑old Nathalie Belizaire, accusing her of four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm after she left her four minor children, including a two‑month‑old infant, alone at home while she boarded a three‑day Carnival Conquest cruise to the Bahamas.
Police say the children’s father saw a WhatsApp story about a cruise ticket purchase on Thursday and spoke to Belizaire, who said she would drop the children off with their great‑grandmother. When the father visited the apartment Saturday night, he heard the children talking inside and called 911. Officers and Miami‑Dade Fire Rescue forced entry and found the children hiding together in the bathroom.
Body‑camera video shows officers gathering the children and leading them outside. The great‑grandmother said Belizaire had told her she would be dropping the children off because she was going out of town, but the children never arrived. Belizaire’s brother said she texted him around 8 p.m. Saturday asking him to check on the kids.
Authorities say Belizaire purchased a three‑day ticket for a September 25 sail date on the Carnival Conquest. She was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when the ship docked at PortMiami and later released to North Miami Beach police. She declined to comment, invoking her right to remain silent. In bond court, a judge set her bond at $10,000 and ordered her to stay away from the children.
Key facts
- Nathalie Belizaire, 29, was arrested on four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. (nbcnews.com)
- Four children, including a two‑month‑old infant, were found unsupervised hiding in a bathroom. (nbcnews.com)
- Belizaire had purchased a three‑day Carnival Conquest cruise departing September 25. (nbcnews.com)
- She was taken into custody at PortMiami by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and released to local police. (nbcnews.com)
- A bond of $10,000 was set and she was ordered to stay away from the children. (nbcnews.com)
Sources
- [1] nbcnews.com — originally reported as “Florida mom left infant, toddler and 2 other kids home alone while she went on 3-day cruise, officials say”
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