A North Miami Beach mother is facing four child-neglect charges after police said her four young children, including a 2-month-old baby and a 2-year-old toddler, were left home alone while she took a weekend cruise to the Bahamas.
Nathalie Belizaire, 29, was arrested after returning to South Florida following the three-day trip. The children, who are also 7 and 9 years old, were found inside their North Miami Beach apartment without an adult present.
The incident came to light Saturday evening when the father of the infant went to the apartment for a welfare check. According to the arrest report, he had become concerned after seeing a WhatsApp message that appeared to show Belizaire had a Carnival cruise ticket.
He told investigators that Belizaire had previously said she planned to leave the children with a relative. When he contacted that relative, however, he was told the children had not been brought there.
When the father arrived at the apartment in the 1400 block of Northeast 170th Street, he noticed the television was on and could hear the children inside. He contacted police, who arrived at about 8 p.m.
Officers entered the apartment and found all four children together. They were hiding in a bathroom and were not physically injured, according to investigators.
Police body-camera footage released after the arrest showed officers locating the children inside the apartment. The youngest child was 2 months old, while the other children were 2, 7 and 9 years old.
Investigators also learned that Belizaire’s brother had received a message from her asking him to check on the children. He had not reached the apartment by the time officers arrived.
Police said they attempted to contact Belizaire several times while the children were being located, but she did not answer. Investigators determined that she had left South Florida Friday for the cruise.
Belizaire returned to PortMiami after the trip and was taken into custody. She declined to speak with investigators, according to the arrest report.
The case was brought before a Miami-Dade County judge on Tuesday, where Belizaire appeared on the child-neglect allegations. She faces four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
The Florida Department of Children and Families is also investigating the circumstances surrounding the children being left without adult supervision.
The children were unharmed when police found them, but the investigation remains ongoing. Belizaire remained in Miami-Dade County custody as of the latest available reports, while the court process continues.
