Florida Mother Arrested for Abandoning 4 Children to Go on Bahamas Cruise
Nathalie Belizaire, a 29-year-old Florida mother, was arrested in PortMiami on September 29, 2026, and faces four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm after allegedly leaving her four young children—including a two-month-old baby and a two-year-old toddler—alone inside a North Miami Beach home while she went on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Conquest.
Discovery of the Abandoned Children in North Miami Beach
The emergency response began when Lether Bazile, the father of the two-month-old infant and Belizaire’s ex-partner, grew suspicious after seeing social media posts on WhatsApp detailing a Carnival cruise ticket. Bazile went to the family’s apartment on September 26, 2026, after Belizaire had departed on the September 25 voyage. According to police records cited by USA Today, Bazile heard the children inside, spotted an active television through the window blinds, and found no adults supervising the residence.
North Miami Beach police officers and Miami-Dade firefighters forced entry into the home after the infant’s father called 911. Court documents indicate that responders discovered all four children hiding together inside a bathroom. The children were subsequently removed from the apartment and placed into the custody of a foster family.
Conflicting Accounts and Arrest at PortMiami
Investigators uncovered conflicting statements regarding who was supposed to look after the children while the mother was out of town. Bazile told authorities that Belizaire had claimed the children would be left in the care of their great-grandmother during her vacation. However, the great-grandmother, Denise Wilkes, told police that Belizaire had indeed asked her to watch the kids, but never actually brought them to her house.
Additional records show that Belizaire also sent a text message over the weekend to her brother, Steven Borgella, asking him to check on the children. Borgella visited the home but could not find his sister or reach her by phone. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained Belizaire as she disembarked from the cruise ship upon its return to PortMiami, transferring her custody to the North Miami Beach Police Department.
Legal Proceedings and Prior Charges
During her initial court appearance on Tuesday, Belizaire chose not to enter a plea. A judge set her bond at USD 10,000 and issued a strict no-contact order keeping her away from the four children while the case moves forward. Defense representatives have not responded publicly to requests for comment regarding the allegations, and Carnival Cruise Line clarified that the incident stemmed from an independent law enforcement investigation unrelated to ship operations.
Court records show this is not Belizaire’s first interaction with local law enforcement. In January 2025, she was arrested and accused of aggravated battery with great bodily harm after allegedly spraying a neighbor in the face with pepper spray during a dispute regarding accusations of harassment directed at Belizaire’s daughter.
