Police Arrest Mother Of Richardson Toddler Sherin Mathews For Child Abandonment, Endangerment
RICHARDSON (CBSDFW.COM) - Police on Thursday arrested Sini Mathews for abandoning or endangering her adopted child, Sherin. The 3-year-old Richardson girl disappeared from the family's home early last month. Authorities located her body in a nearby culvert more than two weeks later.
Sini Mathews' bond has been set for $250,000.
Detectives determined Sini left her daughter home alone while she and her husband, Wesley Mathews went out to dinner with their biological daughter, the night of Friday, October 6.
Police said they obtained cell phone records and receipts confirming they went to dinner in North Garland. Police said they were gone for 90 minutes and when they got home, Sherin was still in the kitchen.
Here is Sini Mathews arrest affidavit:
Mathews' attorney Mitch Nolte told CBS11 regarding the case, "You have to look at it from a factual stand point and not get caught up in the emotional part of it. My job is to be rational."
Sherin's adoptive father, Wesley has already been arrested and charged with injury to a child, a felony charge. He is now in jail with a $1 million bond. Meanwhile, the official cause of Sherin's death is still pending.
Arrest affidavits stated that Mr. Mathews claimed he was trying to get Sherin to drink a cup of milk, but that she was not cooperating. He said that, after Sherin finally complied, he "physically assisted the 3-year-old girl in drinking the milk."
Mr. Mathews continued, saying that the toddler then began to choke. After some coughing, Sherin's breathing started to slow down. The 37-year-old father said that, when he could no longer feel Sherin's pulse, he "believed she had died" and removed the little girl's body from the house.
With Mr. Mathews behind bars, Mrs. Mathews had been fighting for custody of the couple's 4-year-old biological daughter, who had been moved into foster care after Sherin's death.
A hearing with Child Protective Services this past Monday was pushing back to November 29, the second court delay in this case. However, it was decided that the 4-year-old girl could be placed with relatives living near Houston.