Mother arrested for leaving 4 children alone, including infant, during Bahamas cruise
Nathalie Belizaire, 29, left four minor children unsupervised in her North Miami Beach apartment while she took a 3-day cruise to the Bahamas. She was arrested upon return and faces four counts of child neglect.
North Miami Beach mother charged with child neglect after weekend cruise to Bahamas
A 29-year-old North Miami Beach mother was arrested after leaving her four minor children — including a two-month-old infant — alone in her apartment while she boarded a three-day Carnival cruise to the Bahamas, yahoo.com reports.
Nathalie Belizaire now faces four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
Father's suspicion triggers 911 call
The case began when the father of Belizaire's two-month-old child noticed a post on her WhatsApp story on Thursday that appeared to show a cruise ticket purchase. He spoke to Belizaire that day, and she told him she would be dropping the children off with their great-grandmother.
On Saturday night, the father went to her apartment and noticed the television on through the blinds and heard the children talking inside. He called 911.
Both North Miami Beach police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded and forced entry into the residence. Officers found all four children unsupervised and hiding together in the bathroom. Body camera footage showed officers gathering the children and leading them outside.
Great-grandmother never received the children
When authorities contacted the children's great-grandmother, she confirmed that Belizaire had told her she would be bringing the children over before going out of town — but they never arrived.
Belizaire's brother also told police that around 8 p.m. Saturday, his sister sent him a text message instructing him to check on her children.
Multiple attempts by police to contact Belizaire were unsuccessful.
An investigation confirmed that Belizaire had purchased a ticket for a three-day voyage to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Conquest, with a departure date of September 25.
Arrested at PortMiami upon return
On Monday, authorities waited as Belizaire disembarked at PortMiami. She was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and later transferred to North Miami Beach police. She declined to make a statement and invoked her right to remain silent.
The arrest report states that Belizaire "left all four minor children, including a 2-month-old infant and a 2-year-old child, inside the residence without adult supervision while the defendant traveled out of town aboard a Carnival Conquest cruise ship."
Judge rebukes mother in bond court
Belizaire appeared in bond court on Tuesday, where Judge Mindy Glazer did not hold back.
"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."
When told that Belizaire denies the allegations, the judge replied: "Of course she does. One baby, the baby was born in July of this year. Who leaves a baby alone like that?"
Glazer set bond at $10,000 and ordered Belizaire to stay away from the children. Belizaire's attorney confirmed she denies the charges. Belizaire paid her bond and was released Tuesday night.
The four children are reported to be safe and are currently in foster care.
Source: Google News BS — Crime