Mother Accused of Leaving Her Children Alone, Including a Baby, While on a Cruise
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
A mother from North Miami Beach, Florida, was arrested after leaving her four young children, including a baby, alone while she went on a weekend cruise, according to police. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Nathalie Belizaire, now faces four charges of child neglect without causing serious bodily harm. The minors were left unsupervised for several days; the youngest is a 2-month-old baby, while the others are 2, 7, and 9 years old, according to the police report. The father of Belizaire's 2-month-old child saw a WhatsApp status post from her on Thursday that appeared to show a cruise ticket purchase. He spoke with Belizaire that day, and she told him she would leave the children with their great-grandmother. However, when the man went to her apartment on Saturday night, he saw the television on through the blinds and heard the children talking inside, prompting him to call 911. Both Miami-Dade police and fire officials responded and forced entry into the home. There, 'the four minors were found inside... unsupervised by an adult and were hiding together in the bathroom,' police reported. When authorities spoke with the children's great-grandmother, she said Belizaire had told her she would take the children because she was leaving town, but she never did. Belizaire's brother also told police that around 8 p.m. on Saturday, his sister texted him 'to check on her children.' Police indicated that their multiple attempts to contact Belizaire were unsuccessful. An investigation revealed that Belizaire had purchased a 3-day ticket to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Conquest, departing on September 25. Belizaire 'left her four minor children, including a 2-month-old baby and a 2-year-old, inside the home without adult supervision while the accused left town aboard a Carnival Conquest cruise,' the arrest report states. She was arrested upon disembarking from the cruise. On Monday, authorities waited for Belizaire to disembark at PortMiami, where she was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and subsequently handed over to North Miami Beach police. Authorities said she refused to make a statement and invoked her right to remain silent. 'Based on the totality of the circumstances and the evidence obtained during the investigation, there was sufficient probable cause to establish that the accused did not provide the necessary care and supervision for the four minors, thereby exposing them to a significant risk of harm,' the arrest report states. Belizaire appeared in court on Tuesday, where her bail was set at $10,000, and she was ordered to stay away from the children. 'This is unbelievable. She says she went on a cruise and left her children home alone,' Judge Mindy Glazer said during the hearing. 'These poor children, four of them, were home alone for three days... I’m just grateful nothing worse happened to them.' Belizaire's attorney stated that she denies the allegations. Authorities say the children are currently safe and in temporary care. On Tuesday night, Belizaire was released after posting bail. Upon leaving jail, she covered her face and avoided answering most media questions. The woman claimed she had agreed to leave them under the father's supervision. 'Yes, it was the father,' she indicated while walking away from the cameras.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
