A Florida mother is facing four felony child-neglect charges after authorities say her four young children were found inside their North Miami Beach home without an adult while she was away on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.
Nathalie Belizaire, 29, was taken into custody on September 28 after returning to PortMiami aboard the Carnival Conquest. She faces four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. The children, including a 2-month-old baby and a 2-year-old, were later placed in foster care and were reported safe.
The case came to light after the father of Belizaire’s infant became concerned about who was caring for the children.
According to the arrest report, the man said he saw a post on Belizaire’s WhatsApp story on September 24 that appeared to show a Carnival cruise ticket. When he spoke with her, she allegedly told him that the children would be staying with their great-grandmother while she was away.
But police say that arrangement never happened.
The great-grandmother later told investigators that Belizaire had said she would bring the children to her because she was going out of town. According to the police report, however, the children were never brought to her home.
Belizaire then boarded the Carnival Conquest for a three-day trip to the Bahamas, according to investigators.
Two days later, the children’s situation became clear.
On the evening of September 26, the infant’s father went to Belizaire’s apartment. He told police that he could see a television on through the blinds and hear children inside.
Concerned that there was no adult present, he called 911.
North Miami Beach police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the apartment and entered the residence. Officers reportedly found all four children inside without adult supervision.
The children were found together in a bathroom, according to investigators. Body-camera footage later showed officers helping the children out of the apartment.
The children’s ages made the situation especially concerning for investigators. The four included a newborn-age infant who was only 2 months old, as well as a 2-year-old and two older children.
Police also spoke with Belizaire’s brother, who reportedly told investigators that his sister had sent him a message on Saturday evening asking him to check on the children.
Authorities said they attempted to contact Belizaire but were unsuccessful while she was away.
Investigators eventually confirmed that she was aboard the Carnival Conquest and arranged for officers to meet her when the ship returned to Miami.
On Monday, September 28, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers took Belizaire into custody as she disembarked at PortMiami before turning her over to North Miami Beach police. Authorities said she declined to provide a statement and invoked her right to remain silent.
The case then moved into court.
During a bond hearing on September 29, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer expressed strong concern after reviewing the allegations.
The judge questioned how four children, including an infant, could have been left without adult supervision while their mother traveled.
Belizaire’s attorney told the court that she denied the allegations and emphasized that the accusations had not been proven.
The judge nevertheless found probable cause to proceed with the case and imposed conditions on Belizaire’s release.
She was ordered to stay away from the children and was released after posting bond.
The situation remains more complicated than the initial police account, however.
After leaving jail, Belizaire reportedly indicated that arrangements had been made for someone to care for the children. She also accused the father of her youngest child of setting her up.
The father has disputed that account, telling Local 10 that he contacted police because he was genuinely concerned after learning that the grandmother did not have the children.
That difference in the accounts could become important as the case moves forward.
Investigators will likely continue examining what arrangements, if any, were made before Belizaire boarded the cruise, what communications took place while she was away and who was expected to supervise the children.
For now, authorities say the children were located before anything more serious happened to them.
The Florida Department of Children and Families is also expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the case. The children remain in foster care under the current court arrangements.
Belizaire has not entered a plea. Her attorney has said she denies the allegations, and the charges remain allegations that must be addressed through the court process.
Her arraignment is scheduled for November 24, according to court information reported by PEOPLE.
For investigators, the central question now is not simply why Belizaire traveled to the Bahamas, but what supervision arrangements were actually made for the four children before she left.
The answer could help determine how the events unfolded and what happened between the time Belizaire left Florida and the moment police entered the apartment.
For the children, the immediate priority has been their safety and care.
For the mother, the next major step will come in court, where the allegations and the evidence behind them will be examined more closely.
The case remains ongoing, and additional information could emerge as investigators and prosecutors review the circumstances surrounding the three-day trip.