Monday marks nine days since Sherin Mathews was reportedly last seen by her father.
The 3-year-old’s disappearance has made headlines around the world.
Video posted on the Facebook page belonging to ‘Locate the Missing’ purportedly shows a little girl identified in the video as Sherin Mathews. She’s seen in an arm sling, but smiling and posing for a picture. The special needs girl was reportedly last seen by her father seven days ago.
Wesley Mathews told police that he made his adopted daughter stand by a tree about 100 feet from their house at 3 a.m. as punishment for not drinking her milk. He said he came back outside about 15 minutes later and she was gone.
The 37-year-old Mathews went searching for her then returned home hoping she would come back on her own, according to Richardson police. He then thought daylight would help in her search.
Police say he told detectives he did a load of laundry before calling 911 to report the girl missing at 8:12 a.m.
Police arrested Mathews on Oct. 7 and charged him with child neglect.
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Mathews posted a $250,000 bond last Sunday and was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and to surrender his passport.
In the days since the girl’s disappearance, the FBI searched the family’s home and yard located in the 900 block of Sunningdale. The FBI removed items from the home, but police would not elaborate as to what the items were, only saying some would require analysis.
Police had already seized phones, computers and the family’s three vehicles.
On Thursday, police returned the car belonging to the girl’s mother, who has not been charged in this case.
Ordinary citizens have descended upon the Richland Meadows Neighborhood to search areas behind the family’s home where police and K9s have already searched.
The little girl’s face and the circumstances behind her disappearance have received attention across the U.S. and in India, where Sherin was born.
“People all over India [are] very anxious what’s going on in Texas,” said Cherian Pavoo, a member of the Indian Press Club of America.
Indian digital news outlet "The News Minute" spoke with Wesley Mathews' parents, who live in Southern India, about Sherin's disappearance.
“We love her. My son did too. If they didn’t love her, why would they adopt her?” they asked.
The Mathews adopted Sherin from an Indian orphanage one year ago and told police they had been trying to put weight on the malnourished girl.
On Wednesday, the attorney representing the girl’s mother said Sherin had an eating disorder that the Mathews were trying to fix.
