Three-year-old Sherin Mathews of Richardson, Tx., is believed to be in grave and immediate danger after being ordered by her father to stand outside her home Saturday night as punishment for refusing to drink her milk. Sherin was last seen at 3 AM Saturday by her father, 37-year-old Wesley Mathews. Her father is now in custody for abandoning and endangering his child.

Punishment for not drinking milk

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Mathews took the three-year-old girl outside as punishment when she wouldn’t drink her milk. He reportedly made the young girl stand next to a tree in the backyard of their home and when Mathews returned 15 minutes later, she had vanished.

Mathews reportedly took some five hours to report his daughter was missing. When police arrived at his home, he told them coyotes had recently been seen visiting the alley behind his home. However, the Dallas News noted that according to the Humane Society of the U.S., coyote attacks are rare and only two fatalities relating to coyotes have been reported since the 1980s.

According to Sgt. Kevin Perlich, spokesman for the Richardson Police, as the girl was missing from 3 AM and the parents only reported her missing after 8 AM, this leads to questions they want to be answered. Mathews was arrested Saturday and charged with abandoning or endangering his child and was then released on a bond of $250,000.

Amber Alert issued but canceled – search continues

Since Saturday afternoon, police officers and community volunteers have been canvassing the neighborhood in an attempt to locate Sherin, but they have no leads. An Amber alert was issued Saturday, but was canceled on Monday as no new information had been received. However, local officials and several national agencies are continuing the search, including the U.S.

Marshals office and the FBI.

Three-year-old adopted from an orphanage in India

As reported by CBS News, Sherin was adopted by the Mathews family from an Indian orphanage almost two years ago.

Police say the missing child has developmental issues as well as “limited verbal communication skills.” According to NBC News, she has a four-year-old biological sister, who has been removed from the Mathews home by Texas Child Protective Services. According to a spokesman for the agency, they have had previous contact with the Mathews family, however, they added the details of that contact are confidential.
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