Full Breakdown
North Miami Beach Mother Arrested After Leaving Four Children Unsupervised on Bahamas Cruise
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
North Miami Beach police say 29-year-old Nathalie Belizaire boarded a three-night Carnival Cruise Line voyage to the Bahamas while leaving her four minor children—including a two-month-old infant and a two-year-old—in their apartment without adult supervision. The father of the infant saw a WhatsApp story suggesting a cruise ticket purchase and, after speaking with Belizaire, was told the children would be dropped off with their great-grandmother. When he visited the residence the day after the ship set sail, he observed the television on and heard children’s voices, prompting a 911 call. Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue entered the home and found the children hiding in a bathroom. The great-grandmother confirmed Belizaire had promised to leave the children with her but never arrived. Belizaire’s brother reported a text from her that night asking him to check on the children.
Legal Actions and Custody
Belizaire was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as the cruise docked in Miami and later transferred to North Miami Beach police. She faces four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. In bond court, a $10,000 bond was set, and she was ordered to stay away from the children, who were placed in foster care. Her attorney denied the allegations, stating they remain “only an allegation.”
Official Statements & Responses
Judge Mindy Glazer, presiding over the bond hearing, expressed relief that no worse outcome occurred and emphasized the seriousness of leaving an infant unattended. Police highlighted that multiple attempts to contact Belizaire were unsuccessful, and that the children were discovered without any adult present.
Verbatim Quote
“You cannot make this up. It says she went on a cruise and left her children home alone,” — Judge Mindy Glazer
Background
Court records indicate this was not Belizaire’s first encounter with law enforcement. In January 2025 she was arrested and charged with aggravated battery after allegedly pepper-spraying a neighbor she believed was harassing her daughter.