North Miami Beach woman accused of leaving children alone during Bahamas cruise
NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. —
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A South Florida woman is facing accusations of leaving children unattended while on a trip.
According to court documents in Miami-Dade County, Nathalie Belizaire, 29, from North Miami Beach, was arrested on Monday, Sept. 28, on four counts of child neglect.
Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office
Nathalie Belizaire
According to a North Miami Beach Police Department arrest report, a man who shares a 2-month-old daughter with Belizaire told police that his daughter was inside a residence without adult supervision.
The residence was located at 1450 Northeast 170th Street.
The man added three other siblings were alleged to be in the residence and were supposed to be under the supervision of their mother, Belizaire.
The man said on Sept. 24, he saw a WhatsApp post by Belizaire that showed a Carnival Cruise Line ticket purchase. On Sept. 24, the man said he spoke with Belizaire, and she told him she would leave the children with their great-grandmother.
On Sept. 26, the man said he went to Belizaire’s home, looked through window blinds and saw a television on with children talking inside.
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At that point, the man called 911 dispatch.
North Miami Beach Police Department and Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue personnel forced entry into the apartment.
The four children were discovered hiding together in a bathroom in the apartment without adult supervision.
The great-grandmother was contacted and told police that Belizaire said she would be dropping off the children with her because she “was going out of town.”
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The great-grandmother added that Belizaire never brought the children to her residence.
An adult relative of Belizaire told police he received a text message from Belizaire at 8 p.m. on Sept. 26 that instructed him to check on her children.
The police determined that four children, including a 2-month-old infant, and a 2-year-old child were left alone in Belizaire’s apartment without adult supervision.
Police say Belizaire purchased a three-day cruise ticket to the Bahamas beginning on Sept. 25.
On Sept. 28, a North Miami Beach Police Department officer and a Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office detective went to the Port of Miami to meet Belizaire when she got off the cruise ship.
Once Belizaire got off the cruise ship, U.S. Customs and Border Protection took her into custody and transferred her to the custody of the North Miami Beach Police Department.
At the police station, Belizaire declined to speak with an officer.
Court records show that on Tuesday, Sept. 29, a judge ordered Belizaire held in jail on a total of $10,000 bail for the four counts of child neglect.
The judge ordered Belizaire not to have contact with the children.