Mother of dead Richardson girl arrested for child endangerment

The mother of a Richardson 3-year-old who was reported missing and later found dead was arrested on Thursday.

Sini Mathews turned herself in to Richardson police Thursday afternoon on a child endangerment charge related to the death of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews.

According to an arrest affidavit, Sini and Wesley Mathews, Sherin's adoptive parents, left the 3-year-old alone for an hour and a half while they went out to dinner at a North Garland restaurant on Oct. 6 with their biological 4-year-old daughter.

The affidavit says Wesley told police he grew impatient when Sherin refused to drink her milk and decided to leave her at the home alone while he went out to dinner. He says he told Sini to come with him, and she voluntarily went to dinner with him, knowing Sherin would be left alone.

Sherin was reported missing by Wesley on Oct. 7. Her body was later found in a culvert just north of the family's home on Oct. 22.

Initially, Wesley told investigators Sherin went missing after he left her outside as punishment for not drinking her milk. Later, he admitted to police that she was never missing at all. He claims Sherin choked and died when he physically helped her drink her milk. He admitted to moving her body.

Sini's arrest happened just four days after she went to juvenile court to try and regain custody of her biological daughter, who remains in CPS custody.

While Sini's arrest does not directly tie her to the death of her daughter, the latest twist in the investigation has at least one neighbor disgusted.

"First of all, she's disabled. So she wouldn't drink her milk? You're a father or your mother, or whatever the case may be, you should stay awake with her and find some way to cope with it yourself," said neighbor Majid Khan. "You're an adult. She's a child. Her mind isn't fully developed. It makes no sense."

The results of Sherin's autopsy are still pending.

Sini is being held on a $250,000 bond. The couple's biological daughter is still in CPS custody.

Wesley remains in jail on injury to a child charges.