A Florida mother was arrested after police found her four children, ages 9, 7 and 2, and a baby just 2 months old, without adult supervision while she was away on a trip.
According to police, 29-year-old Nathalie Belizaire departed on September 25 aboard the Carnival Conquest for a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.
A day earlier, the baby’s father had seen what appeared to be a ticket for the trip on Nathalie’s WhatsApp. She allegedly assured him that she would leave the children with their great-grandmother.
But they never arrived at her house.
Worried, the man went to the apartment and saw that the television was on and heard voices inside. Since he didn’t have a key to get in, he called the police.
Officers had to force their way in.
Body camera footage shows the moment they found the four children hiding together in the bathroom, with no adults in the home. The great-grandmother later confirmed that Nathalie had said she would bring the little ones to her, but never did.
When the cruise returned to Miami, authorities were waiting for her at the port. Nathalie was arrested and charged with four counts of child neglect. Her lawyer told the court that she denies the allegations.
When she finally appeared before the judge, the woman was sobbing as she listened to the charges against her. The judge, for her part, reacted with indignation upon learning the children’s ages: “These poor children were home alone”.
Judge Mindy Glazer reacted with disbelief upon learning about the case: “These poor children were home alone”, and said she was grateful that nothing worse had happened.
Nathalie paid 10.000 dollars in bail and was ordered to stay away from the minors while the case proceeds. The children were placed in temporary care.