DALLAS: The mother of a girl who was adopted from India and found dead last month in suburban Dallas has been charged with child abandonment after police allege that she left her home alone.
Richardson police say Sini Mathews turned herself in Thursday. Her bond was set at $250,000.
Police say 3-year-old Sherin Mathews was left home alone for hours the night of October 6 while her family went to dinner and was still there when they returned. Police say they didn't take her with them after she refused to drink milk.
Sini's husband Wesley Mathews remains jailed on a felony injury to a child charge. Police have said he told them the child choked on milk he was trying to make her drink in the early hours of October 7.
In a statement, attorney Mitch Nolte confirmed that he escorted Sini Mathews to the police department but didn't comment on the case against her.
Sherin, reported missing on October 7, was found dead in a culvert about 1km from her home in suburban Dallas on October 22.
Sherin’s 37-year-old father, Wesley, told police that he put her outside at 3am to discipline her for not drinking milk.
He changed the story after her body was found in the culvert and told police that he “assisted” with pouring milk down Sherin’s throat and then moved her body after he realised she had choked and died.
Wesley was arrested and charged with felony injury to a child, which carries a sentence of up to life in prison. He is still in the Dallas County jail on a $1 million (Dh3.67 million) bond. He has also been placed under suicide watch.
The Mathews’ biological 4-year-old daughter was taken away by the Child Protective Services after Sherin disappeared.
