A North Miami Beach woman was arrested after police said she left her four children, including a 2-month-old infant, home alone while she took a three-day cruise to the Bahamas aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Conquest.
Nathalie Belizaire, 29, faces four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm following an investigation by North Miami Beach police.
According to an arrest affidavit, the father of Belizaire’s 2-month-old daughter learned about her trip on September 24 after seeing a WhatsApp post that appeared to show a cruise ticket. When he spoke with Belizaire, she reportedly told him she planned to leave the children with their great-grandmother.
When he went to Belizaire’s apartment on Saturday, he said he could hear children inside and saw that a television was on. He then called 911, prompting a response from police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
Authorities entered the apartment and found all four children inside without adult supervision. The children, including a 2-year-old and the infant, were found together in a bathroom, according to the arrest report.
Belizaire’s brother told investigators that she contacted him that evening and asked him to check on the children.
Investigators also spoke with the children’s great-grandmother, who said Belizaire had told her she would bring the children to her before leaving town, but she failed to do so.
Police said they were unable to reach Belizaire. Investigators determined that she had boarded the Carnival Conquest for a three-day Bahamas cruise that departed from PortMiami on September 25.
When the ship returned to the port on September 28, authorities were waiting for her. U.S. Customs and Border Protection took her into custody before turning her over to North Miami Beach police.
The following day, Belizaire appeared in court, where her attorney said she denies the allegations. A judge set her bond at $10,000 and ordered her to stay away from the children. Belizaire later posted bond and was released.
The children were found safe and have since been placed in foster care, police said.
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