Wesley Mathews, father of three-year old Sherin Mathews, has been arrested and charged with Injury to a Child (TPC 22.04), a first degree felony punishable by life or from 5 to 99 years in prison, a release from the Richardosn, Texas police said.
‘Mr. Mathews voluntarily arrived at the Richardson Police Station with his attorney and asked to speak with detectives. He provided an alternate statement of events from those which he had given previously, regarding the disappearance of Sherin,’ the release said.
Wesley Mathews is currently in the Richardson City Jail and his bond has been set at $1,000,000.
’We are still awaiting a positive identification from the Dallas County Medical Examiners office for the child's body found Sunday, believed to be Sherin Mathews,’ the release said.
His wife Sini Mathews is not charged at this time. ‘He provided an alternate series of events from what he had previously given us,’ police spokesperson said.
He could not elaborate on the statement, citing the ongoing investigation.
The body of the young child discovered Sunday has not yet been identifed, and autopsy results from the Dallas County medical examiner are pending. Police have previously said the body was "most likely" Sherin's.
The body was found about 11 am in a culvert near East Spring Valley and South Bowser roads, with the help of search dogs.
Sherin has been missing since Oct. 7 when Wesley Mathews told police he sent the girl outside to an alley near their house in the 900 block of Sunningdale about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk. When he went to check on her about 15 minutes later she was gone, he told police.
He was initially arrested and charged with child endangerment after telling police he knew coyotes had been spotted near the alley, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
When Sherin did not return, Mathews told police he went inside and did laundry while he waited for it to get lighter outside or for her to return on her own.
Wesley Mathews and Sini, attended a court hearing Monday to determine whether they could regain custody of their 4-year-old biological daughter who was placed in protective custody after her adopted 3-year-old sister went missing Oct. 7.
The judge postponed Monday's custody hearing until Nov. 13 to allow their father, Wesley Mathews, to hire an attorney.
"We do have the names of some relatives who have
expressed interest in taking care of her," said Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman
for Child Protective Services. "We can begin looking into those relatives,
but it is entirely up to the judge where she is placed."
Kent Starr, an attorney for Sini Mathews, said that as part
of Wesley Mathews' bond agreement, the couple cannot live together. Starr told
The Dallas Morning News that his client is seeking to regain custody of her
other daughter and that she has cooperated with the police in trying to help
identify Sherin's body.
Rafael De La Garza, an attorney for Wesley
Mathews, told The Dallas Morning News after Monday's hearing that his client
was "mourning the death of his child," but he didn't address the
criminal charges.
