Florida Judge Slams Mother Accused of Leaving Children for Cruise

A Florida mother has been arrested and charged with four counts of child neglect after allegedly leaving her four young children unattended at home for a three-day cruise. Nathalie Belizaire, 29, was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on Monday as she disembarked from the Carnival Conquest in Miami.

During a Tuesday court hearing, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer expressed disbelief at the situation, stating, "You cannot make this up." She added, "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."

Police were alerted to the situation on Saturday, the day after Belizaire allegedly set sail. According to reports, Lether Bazile, the father of the two-month-old infant, became concerned when Belizaire did not follow through on a promise to leave the children with their great-grandmother. Bazile reported that Belizaire's WhatsApp story showed a Carnival Cruise Line ticket, prompting him to visit her residence. Upon arrival, he heard the children inside and immediately contacted the police.

Bodycam footage released by authorities showed four children emerging from hiding in a bathroom. The children included a 2-year-old, a pre-teen, and a teenage girl holding the infant.

Authorities also stated that the children's grandmother, Denise Wilkes, reported that Belizaire had promised to drop the children off but never did. Belizaire's brother, Steven Borgella, informed police that his sister had texted him on the evening the children were found, asking him to check on them.

Belizaire reportedly declined to speak with officers upon her arrest. Her defense attorney argued during the hearing that the allegations were "just an allegation at this time" and that Belizaire denied the claims. The judge retorted, "They arrested her disembarking from the cruise ship!" The attorney countered that responsibility for children can extend beyond mothers to fathers and grandparents.

Judge Glazer remarked that mothers typically know their children, and in this case, one of the fathers became concerned and contacted the police, suggesting multiple fathers might be involved. "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 was issued a stay-away order pending an investigation by the Department of Children and Families. She faces four felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, with bond set at $10,000, allocated at $2,500 per child. Court documents indicate Belizaire previously faced aggravated battery charges in January 2025 for allegedly pepper-spraying a neighbor.