By Claire Z. Cardona / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS — The Richardson, Texas, father who originally told police he sent his 3-year-old out to an alley as punishment is facing a felony charge after offering a new account Monday of how the girl went missing two weeks ago.
Wesley Mathews, 37, faces a charge of injury to a child, said police Sgt. Kevin Perlich. His arrest came the day after officials discovered a young child’s body less than a mile from Sherin Mathews’ home. Police have said the body was “most likely” hers.
On Monday, Mathews — accompanied by his attorney — voluntarily gave police a new version of events: He had been trying to get Sherin to drink her milk in the garage, but she wouldn’t listen.
Eventually, the girl began to drink her milk, and Mathews “physically assisted” her, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Sherin began to choke, her dad told police. He said she was coughing and that her breathing slowed.
At some point, Mathews no longer felt a pulse on his daughter and believed her to be dead, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. He admitted to police that he removed her body from the home.
Mathews was being held in the Richardson City Jail. Bail was to be set at $1 million.
Sherin has been missing since Oct. 7, when Mathews originally told police that he had sent the girl outside to an alley near their house in the 900 block of Sunningdale about 3 a.m. because she refused to drink her milk. When he went to check on her about 15 minutes later, she was gone, he told police.
Mathews was arrested later that day and charged with child endangerment after telling police he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. He was released from jail after posting bond and was required to wear an electronic monitoring device and surrender his passport.
When Sherin did not return, Mathews told police, he went inside their home and did laundry while he waited for it to get lighter outside or for her to return on her own.
An attempt to reach Mathews’ attorney Monday night was unsuccessful.
The body of the child discovered Sunday had not yet been identified, and autopsy results from the Dallas County medical examiner were pending.
An attorney for Sherin’s adoptive mother said Monday that Sini Mathews was “distraught” about Sherin and was cooperating with police to identify the body.
The remains were found about 11 a.m. in a culvert near East Spring Valley and South Bowser roads, with the help of search dogs.
Sini Mathews reportedly was asleep at the home and was unaware of what her husband was doing, police said. She has not been charged with a crime.
“We want to make sure everyone understands this is still a continuing investigation, and because of that there are certain dynamics that may change as we go along that may result in additional arrests or modification of charges,” Perlich said.
Injury to a child is a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison.
The Mathewses appeared before a Dallas County judge Monday morning to attempt to regain custody of their 4-year-old daughter, who was removed from the home two weeks ago. The judge postponed the custody hearing, and the girl was to remain in foster care for three more weeks.
When Child Protective Services removes a child from the custody of his or her parents, the agency prefers to leave the child with a family member. The agency indicated Monday that it was looking into conducting a home study in Fort Bend County, near Houston.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
