A Florida mom is now facing four felony charges after allegedly abandoning her four young children, which included a 2-month-old baby — so that she could take a three-day trip to the Bahamas on a cruise ship. Nathalie Belizaire, 29, was arrested and subsequently charged with four counts of child neglect after she got on board a Carnival Cruise Line ship, leaving her children completely unattended in a home located in North Miami Beach.
Law enforcement officials said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Belizaire as she disembarked the ship. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer was flabbergasted by the woman’s behavior, saying in court footage, “You cannot make this up. We are just grateful nothing worse happened to those kids.”
“Who leaves four little kids alone to go on a cruise? The poor kids were home alone,” the judge continued. The police found Belizaire’s children on a Saturday, the day after the ship set sail for its destination. Bodycam footage from the cops showed the four kids coming out of hiding in a bathroom. There was a 2-year-old, a pre-teen, and what looked like a teenage girl holding an infant.
According to a report from Fox News, the infant’s father, Lether Bazile, spoke with law enforcement and said that Belizaire said she was leaving the kids with their great-grandmother. Bazile was later tipped off by the mother’s absence by a story posted on Belizaire’s WhatsApp two days earlier that showed a Carnival Cruise Line ticket.
Once he realized what was going on, he called the police, who then entered the home and found the kids hiding in a bathroom without an adult present. According to law enforcement authorities, Denise Wilkes, the children’s grandmother, told officers that Belizaire had promised to drop the children off at her house, but never showed up at the residence.
Belizaire’s brother, Steven Borgella, also told police that his sister texted him at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the day the kids were found, asking him to check on them. During the hearing, Belizaire’s defense attorney stated during the hearing that going on vacation and abandoning the kids was “just an allegation at this time,” pointing out that she denies the claim.
“At this time, it is only an allegation; she denies the allegation,” the defense attorney stated. “Of course she does,” Glazer said, clearly exasperated by the situation. “They arrested her disembarking from the cruise ship!” she said. “I understand that, judge, I understand that,” the attorney responded. “The question is who was the one responsible for the children at the time?”
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Glazer took an opportunity to think before answering, then said, “Usually it’s the mother, the person that gave birth to them.” The defense attorney then said, “There are also others responsible, it’s not just mothers. It’s not just mothers that are in charge of children, judge. It’s also fathers and grandparents and other people.”
“See, the mothers always know who their children are,” Glazer said. “Fathers may not know, but it looks like different fathers here. One of the fathers grew concerned and called the police.” Belizaire is facing four felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. Her bond was set at $10,000. This isn’t the first time Belizaire has run afoul of the law. She previously faced aggravated battery charges in January 2025 after allegedly pepper-spraying a neighbor in the face during an argument regarding her daughter.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video