Police and the FBI searched the house of parents who lost their 3-year-old daughter in Texas Wednesday after the dad forced her to stand outside at 3 a.m.
Wesley Mathews, 37, punished his 3-year-old daughter Sherin Mathews after she refused to drink her milk by making her stand outside early Saturday morning, reported Fox News. He realized that she was missing 15 minutes after leaving her out there, added CBS Dallas/ Fort Worth.
Mathews did not alert the police until five hours later and authorities arrested him Saturday on the charge of damaging and endangering a child. He was released on bond Sunday, but forced to wear an ankle monitor.
“That does not seem like a normal response that one would do if you have a missing child,” said police Sergeant Kevin Perlich, adding that is “certainly concerning us.”
Sherin Matthews had developmental disabilities and trouble communicating. The child was adopted from India and severely malnourished, the USA Today Network reported Thursday.
“So part of the feeding thing was to build some mass and put some weight on her so it wasn’t uncommon for her to have to be fed on a consistent schedule or as frequently as they could,” Perlich said.
There were coyotes in the alley, Mathews noted, but investigators do not believe one could have dragged the girl away. Investigators are also currently reviewing footage from surveillance cameras, cellphones and laptops to try to determine the whereabouts of the child.
Child Protective Services has dealt with the Matthews prior to this incident, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales told the USA Today Network.
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