A 29-year-old Florida woman, Nathalie Belizaire, has been arrested after authorities accused her of leaving her four young children, including a two-month-old infant, home alone while she went on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.
Nathalie Belizaire, of North Miami Beach, is facing four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, according to police and court documents.
The children were discovered alone inside Belizaire’s apartment on Saturday, September 26, after the father of her two-month-old daughter became concerned about their safety and called police.
According to the arrest affidavit, the children were found together in a bathroom without adult supervision.
Here are five key things to know about the case.
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1. Police say the four children were left alone
North Miami Beach police said the children included a two-month-old baby, a two-year-old child and two older siblings.
The infant’s father reportedly became concerned after seeing a WhatsApp post from Belizaire that appeared to show a Carnival cruise ticket.
He contacted Belizaire, who allegedly told him that she planned to drop the children off with their great-grandmother.
However, when he went to Belizaire’s apartment on Saturday night, he reportedly saw the television on and heard children inside.
He then called 911.
2. Officers found the children hiding together
Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the apartment and forced entry after determining that the children were inside.
According to the arrest report, all four children were found without adult supervision and were hiding together in the bathroom.
Body-camera footage released by authorities showed officers gathering the children and taking them outside.
The children were subsequently placed in foster care and authorities said they were safe.
3. Belizaire was reportedly on a Bahamas cruise
Investigators determined that Belizaire had purchased a three-day ticket aboard Carnival Conquest, with the cruise departing PortMiami on September 25.
Police allege that she left the children inside the residence while she travelled aboard the cruise ship.
The vessel returned to PortMiami on Monday, September 28, where authorities were waiting for her.
She was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection before being handed over to North Miami Beach police.
4. Her relatives reportedly expected her to leave the children with family
Police also spoke with the children’s great-grandmother during the investigation.
According to the arrest report, she said Belizaire had told her that she would be dropping the children off because she was going out of town.
The great-grandmother reportedly told investigators that Belizaire never brought the children to her.
Police also said Belizaire’s brother received a message from her on Saturday evening instructing him to check on the children.
Investigators said their attempts to contact Belizaire while she was away were unsuccessful.
5. Belizaire denies the allegations
After returning to Miami, Belizaire reportedly declined to provide police with a statement and invoked her right to remain silent.
She appeared in bond court on Tuesday, where her bond was set at $10,000 and she was ordered to stay away from the children.
Her attorney said Belizaire denies the allegations.
During the hearing, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer expressed concern about the circumstances described by prosecutors and police.
The charges against her remain allegations at this stage, and the arrest itself is not a finding of guilt.
The case has drawn widespread attention because of the age of the children, particularly the fact that one of them was only two months old.
Authorities say the children are currently safe and in foster care while the legal case proceeds.
For now, Belizaire faces four counts of child neglect stemming from the alleged decision to leave the children without adult supervision while she travelled out of town.
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