Father of Sherin Mathews Changes Story, Gets Arrested

He's been charged with felony injury to a child
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 24, 2017 12:54 AM CDT
Father of Missing 3-Year-Old Charged After Changing Story
This undated photo provided by the Richardson Texas Police Department shows 3-year-old Sherin Mathews.   (Richardson Texas Police Department via AP)

The Texas man who claimed his adopted 3-year-old daughter disappeared after he put her outside at 3am as punishment was arrested Monday, a day after a child's body was found. Police say Wesley Mathews was charged with felony injury to a child after visiting a police station with his attorney and giving them a different version of events, the Dallas Morning News reports. "He provided an alternate series of events from what he had previously given us," said police spokesman Kevin Perlich, who did not elaborate. Police say the body found in a culvert less than a mile from the Mathews home in the Dallas suburb of Richardson is "most likely" that of Sherin Mathews, though they are waiting for confirmation.

Mathews, who was out on bail on a charge of child endangerment, is being held on $1 million bond on the new charge, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, the AP reports. Police say more charges—and more arrests—are possible. Mathews has told police that Sherin, who was adopted from India last year, was on a special diet and was being punished for not drinking her milk. He did not report her missing for five hours and police are seeking surveillance footage of a vehicle they believe left the home between 4am and 5am on Oct. 7, the night the girl disappeared. Earlier Monday, Mathews and his wife went to a court hearing seeking to regain custody of their biological 4-year-old daughter, who was taken into protective custody after Sherin disappeared. (More missing child stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X