Wendell nurse accused of failing to report a death at her child-care facility
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- Tamika Jones Fowler of Wendell was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges.
- She’s accused of multiple childcare facility violations, including not reporting a death.
- Fowler is a registered nurse working in Wake County.
A Wendell nurse is facing multiple charges after she allegedly failed to report a child’s death at her unlicensed child-care facility, according to court records.
Tamika Jones Fowler, 47, was arrested Tuesday afternoon, as first reported by the Facebook page Fighting Crime News and Who’s Wanted. She faces five charges, all tied to child-welfare violations, court records show.
Fowler’s arrest warrant alleges she:
- Failed to report a child’s death at her child-care facility within 24 hours of the death in December 2024.
- Provided child care at an unlicensed location Dec. 5, 2024.
- Declined to provide records other than financial records for her facility to the Department of Health and Human Services in April 2024.
- Provided care for more than five children, including her own children, while operating a family child-care home in April 2024.
- Allowed care to be provided at that family child-care home “when neither (Fowler) nor any other licensed individual was present” in April 2024.
Police were called to a Montif Drive home in Wendell on Dec. 5, 2024, for a report of an unresponsive child, according to a Wendell Police Department news release. Officers found a 5-month-old infant who had died in their sleep, the release said.
“Investigators began a thorough investigation that included the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Wake County District Attorney’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services,” the release states. “As a result of the investigation, Ms. Fowler was found to be operating a day care without a license, along with other child welfare violations.”
Fowler was not charged in the infant’s death, according to the release.
Social media posts state Fowler previously ran Sunshine Preschool in Knightdale until at least December 2020.
Tamika Jones Fowler’s criminal history
Fowler’s bail was set at $10,000 secured Tuesday, with Magistrate C.N. Stewart writing in release paperwork that Fowler only had a history of traffic-related crimes and infractions. However, a search of court records Wednesday by The News & Observer showed that Fowler pleaded guilty in 2002 to aiding and abetting larceny in Wilmington and in 2004 to a simple worthless check in Wake County.
Fowler has been a licensed practical nurse since January 2021 and has no charges or disciplinary actions against her, according to state records. A LinkedIn profile apparently belonging to Fowler states she’s worked for Holly Hill Hospital, a mental health facility in Raleigh that has faced criticism for its treatment of children in its care, since February 2021.
Fowler had not posted bail as of Wednesday morning. If released, she may not provide child care to anyone under 16, according to court documents.
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 10:51 AM.
