A Florida mother has been arrested after allegedly leaving her four young children, including a two-month-old infant, alone at home while she travelled on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.
Nathalie Belizaire, 29, of North Miami Beach, is facing four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm following the incident.
According to North Miami Beach police, the father of the two-month-old child became concerned after seeing a WhatsApp status posted by Belizaire showing what appeared to be a cruise ticket purchase.
The man contacted Belizaire that same day and was reportedly told that she would leave the children in the care of their great-grandmother.
However, when he went to Belizaire’s apartment on Saturday night, he noticed that the television was on and heard children inside the residence.
Concerned, he called 911.
Police officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel responded to the apartment and forced their way inside after attempts to establish what was happening.
They found all four children inside the home without adult supervision. Police said the children had gathered together and were hiding in the bathroom when officers entered.
Authorities said several attempts to contact Belizaire were unsuccessful.
Further investigations reportedly established that Belizaire had purchased a ticket for a three-day cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Conquest, with the vessel scheduled to sail on September 25.
The children were subsequently taken into protective care as authorities investigated the circumstances surrounding their abandonment.
Belizaire’s alleged decision to leave the children unattended has led to her arrest on four child neglect charges.
