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Mother leaves four kids alone including two-month-old to go on cruise, kids found hiding in bathroom

Nathalie Belizaire
A Florida mother has been arrested after police said she left her four young children alone for days while she went on a three-day cruise.
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  • Florida mother allegedly left her four young children home alone for days while she went on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.

  • Police found the children inside the apartment, including a two-month-old and a two-year-old.

  • Nathalie Belizaire was arrested after returning from the cruise and faces four child-neglect charges.

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A 29-year-old North Miami Beach woman has been arrested after police said she left her four young children home alone for days while she went on a three-day Carnival cruise to the Bahamas.

Nathalie Belizaire was taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection officers at PortMiami on Monday morning, the moment she stepped off the ship, and handed over to North Miami Beach police.

According to investigators, the father of Belizaire's two-month-old child saw a WhatsApp story on Thursday that appeared to show a cruise ticket purchase. When he asked her about it, she told him she would be dropping the children off with their great-grandmother before leaving. The great-grandmother later told police Belizaire never brought the children to her.

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Police said the father went to the apartment and found the television on and could hear children's voices inside, but could not get in touch with Belizaire. Officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue forced entry into the home. 

Body camera footage showed officers gathering the four children, including the two-month-old and a two-year-old, and leading them outside. Authorities have not disclosed the ages of the other two children.

Multiple attempts by police to reach Belizaire while she was on the cruise were unsuccessful.

She is facing four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. Her attorney said she denies the allegations.

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At her first court appearance, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer addressed the case directly, saying, "Who leaves a baby alone like that?" Belizaire was ordered to have no contact with the children pending further proceedings in dependency court. Authorities say the children are safe and have been placed in foster care.

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