Sherin Mathews’ Father Transferred to Dallas County Jail Under Suicide Watch

What to Know

Girl reported missing Oct. 7 after father said he placed her outside when she refused to drink her milk.
In a statement to police Oct. 23, girl's father said she choked on her milk and died and that he removed her body from the home.
Girl's cause of death has not yet been released by the Dallas County Medical Examiner.

Wesley Mathews, the adoptive father of a 3-year-old girl whose body was recovered from a drainage culvert Sunday, was booked into to the Dallas County Jail Wednesday and has been placed under suicide watch.

Mathews originally told police his daughter Sherin Mathews disappeared while being punished, where she was forced to stand outside by a tree at 3 a.m. for not drinking her milk. On Monday, a day after her body was found, Mathews told police a different story and said that his daughter choked to death after he "physically assisted" her in drinking her milk.

The adoptive father of a 3-year-old Richardson girl whose body was found Sunday is transferred to the Dallas County Jail Wednesday after telling police he witnessed her death.

Mathews then told police that he moved her body from the family's Richardson home, though police didn't say where he said he took the little girl's remains. He was arrested and charged with felony injury to a child.

Mathews was transferred Wednesday from the Richardson Jail to Dallas County's Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas. In shackles, he put his head down and ignored reporters as he was led into the jail under guard.

A mugshot taken Wednesday doesn't look much different than one taken about two weeks ago when he was originally arrested on a charge of child endangerment following his initial account of his daughter's disappearance.

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With her remains found, Mathews now faces a charge of felony injury to a child. He posted bond on the first charge shortly after his daughter disappeared, though he remains jailed on the second charge and held on $1 million bond.

NBC 5 submitted a request to interview Mathews but that request was denied. The Dallas County Sheriff's Department said Mathews is currently under suicide watch and cannot accept any such request.

Wesley Mathews, left, and his wife, Sini Mathews, right, leave a CPS hearing Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 where they planned to ask that custody of their biological 4-year-old daughter be returned. The hearing was rescheduled.

Before he spoke with police Monday, Mathews and his wife Sini attended a court hearing to determine whether they could regain custody of their biological 4-year-old daughter. The child had been placed in protective custody after her sister was reported missing. A judge postponed the hearing until Nov. 13 -- in the meantime the couple's oldest daughter will remain in foster care until that hearing or until ordering a change in custody.

So far, police not leveled any charges against Sini Mathews in the case.