The adoptive mother of Sherin Mathews, the Texas toddler found dead in a culvert last month, reportedly turned herself in Thursday on child endangerment charges.
KXAS reported that Richardson police accused Sini Mathews, 35, and Wesley of taking their biological 4-year-old child to dinner and left Sherin, 3, home alone the evening before her disappearance. In doing so, police accused them of putting her in “imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment.”
According to WFAA, an itemized receipt from the restaurant confirmed that the family ordered only one child’s meal the night of October 6. Sherin’s absence was also corroborated by the waiter who served them that night.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, an AMBER Alert was issued for Sherin on October 7. The child’s body was discovered in a culvert near the family’s home on October 23.
Wesley told police that he had helped his daughter in drinking her milk and that she choked and died in the home. However, he had originally claimed that he had put the 3-year-old outside for not drinking her milk and that she had disappeared.
Throughout the investigation, Sini claimed that she had no involvement in her daughter’s death. She reportedly claimed she was sleeping on the night in question and was unaware of the incident between her husband and Sherin, according to KXAS.
Sini has not spoken publically about the events leading up to the toddler’s suspicious death.
“The police were professional and courteous and allowed us to bring Mrs. Mathews to the Police Department and surrender herself into custody,” Sini’s attorney said in a statement issued to the station.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office is still in the process of determining what killed the 3-year-old.
Sini is being held on $250,000 bond. Wesley remains jailed on an injury to a child charge.
[Featured Image: Sini and Sherin Mathews/Richardson Police Department]