Judge Scolds Mother Accused of Leaving Four Children Home Alone for Cruise

A Florida mother sobbed in court as a judge admonished her for allegedly leaving her four young children, including a newborn, unattended at home so she could embark on a multi-day cruise. Nathalie Belizaire, 29, faces charges of child neglect after allegedly leaving the youngsters alone in her North Miami Beach home to travel to the Bahamas on Friday.

Appearing before Judge Mindy Glazer on Tuesday, Belizaire wiped away tears as the judge read the allegations. "Who leaves four little kids alone?" Glazer asked, adding, "We are just grateful nothing happened to these kids." Belizaire's attorney attempted to present the accusations as pending, but the judge noted that police arrested her as she disembarked from the Carnival Conquest cruise ship on Monday.

The North Miami Beach Police Department reported that one of the children's fathers alerted authorities. He became concerned after seeing Belizaire post about her cruise on social media and was told by her that the children were with their great-grandmother. The father stated he went to Belizaire's apartment on Saturday night and observed the children inside with the TV on, but no adult present.

First responders reportedly entered Belizaire's home and found all four minors without adult supervision. The children, including a two-month-old and a two-year-old, were discovered "hiding together in the bathroom." Police allege that while Belizaire had arranged for the children's great-grandmother to care for them, the relative told investigators that Belizaire never brought the children to her before departing for the cruise. Belizaire also allegedly texted her brother asking him to check on her children over the weekend.

Belizaire has prior legal entanglements. In January of the previous year, she was arrested and charged with aggravated battery for allegedly pepper-spraying a neighbor. The status of that case remains unclear. Following her arrest for child neglect, Belizaire was reportedly taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection before being transferred to local police. She is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami on a $10,000 bond. Officials stated Belizaire declined to provide a statement to investigators and invoked her right to remain silent.

"You cannot make this up. It says she went on a cruise and left her children home alone," Glazer remarked during the hearing, according to NBC6. "These poor kids, four of them, were home alone for three days… I'm just grateful nothing worse happened to these kids."