A Fishers woman is in custody after police say she failed to comply with a court order requiring her to surrender her young daughter to the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS).

According to the Fishers Police Department, 21-year-old Nizhoni L. Carter was located in Kokomo with her 2-year-old daughter and both were safely brought back to Fishers.

Police said they were notified by DCS that a Hamilton County judge had ordered Carter to surrender the child following allegations of neglect and/or abuse while the child was living in a Fishers residence.

Those allegations included claims the child had access to illegal drugs and unsecured firearms in the home, that caregivers used illegal drugs in the child’s presence, and that the child was at times left alone while Carter left to obtain drugs. Investigators also cited reports the child had been found outside the home unattended and was frequently left in a soiled diaper for extended periods.

Authorities said Carter appeared virtually in court on April 15, 2026, when the order to surrender the child was issued. Police say she did not comply and instead left the area with the child.

With assistance from the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Kokomo Police Department, officers located Carter and the child in Kokomo.

The child was recovered safely.

Carter was transported to the Hamilton County Jail and faces preliminary charges of Level 5 felony kidnapping, alleging the offense was committed using a vehicle, and Class B misdemeanor interference with custody.

Fishers Police credited multiple units within the department, along with local and federal partners, for assisting in the investigation and recovery. Officials also thanked DCS for its role in pursuing the child’s safety.

Formal charges will be determined by the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office.