Richardson police in Texas announced on Monday that 37-year-old Wesley Mathews turned himself into voluntarily in relation to the case of his missing toddler daughter Sherin Mathews. Sherin disappeared October 7. Mathews was re-Arrested and charged with injury to a child under Texas Penal Code 22.04.
If Mathews is convicted of the first-degree felony charge, he faces a possible, maximum sentence of up to 99 years in prison. A judge set Mathews’ bond at $1 million. He is presently in custody in Richardson City Jail.
Toddler’s father previously arrested and charged following daughter’s disappearance
Mathews was also arrested previously and charged with child abandonment or endangerment the same day his toddler daughter disappeared. He posted $250,000 bond – or $25k – and was released. Conditions of his bond release were that he surrendered his password and had to wear an electronic monitoring device on his leg.
Police posted to the department’s Facebook account that Mathews arrived at the Richardson Police Department of his own accord. While accompanied by his attorney, Matthews asked to speak with detectives. After he offered a statement different from his earlier account of events that led to his daughter’s disappearance, he was arrested.
Police have not, yet, provided information about what Mathews stated yesterday.
The police department also commented that charging Mathews with an injury to a child was determined by the evidence and the information available to authorities at the time his arrest was made. The agency further explained that Mathews’ statements yesterday support the criminal offense leveled against him.
Police say more arrests, modified charges possible
Because the case remains open and very much active, Richardson police suggested that people bear in mind that there is a possibility of more arrests or modified charges based on the availability of additional evidence.
Mathews’ arrest falls on the heels of law enforcement conducting a search with canine dogs on Sunday, looking for the special needs toddler Sherin Mathews.
During their search, police discovered a child’s body in a culvert less than a mile from the Mathews’ family home.
Parent’s notified Sunday a child’s small body found not far from family’s home
Though the medical examiner has not concluded or reported the child’s identity, police did notify the missing toddler’s parents that a child’s small body was found and recovered. The culvert is within walking distance from the family’s home and the tree located 100-feet from where Mathews originally alleged he told his little girl to stay after she refused to drink milk at 3 AM.
He stated to police that he returned roughly 15 minutes later and his toddler daughter was gone. He did a load of laundry and waited five hours before notifying police that Sherin Mathews was missing.
Little girl’s parents at custody hearing for older child hours before father re-arrested
Before turning himself into police yesterday, Mathews and his wife, Sini, appeared before a judge in Dallas County for a custody hearing involving the couple’s four-year-old daughter. CPS removed the little girl from the Mathews’ home shortly following Sherin’s disappearance.
The judge granted a continuance to enable the child’s father to retain a lawyer for the civil case. The judge postponed the custody hearing until November 13 prior to Mathews’ arrest yesterday.
