Dallas: 3-year-old Indian girl Sherin Mathews choked to death on milk, father claims

Dallas: Sherin Mathews, the three-year-old Indian girl who was missing for over two weeks in Dallas in US, was choked to death on milk, her father has now claimed. Her father Wesley Mathews, who is under arrest, had earlier claimed that she had wandered off in the middle of the night when he sent her outside as punishment for not drinking her milk.

He said that Sherin began to choke, she was coughing and that "her breathing slowed." He said that he felt no pulse and believed the child had died. H admitted to removing the body from the home.

Mathews had on October 7 reported to the police that Sherin had gone missing, her body was found on Sunday. The body was identified with the help of her dental records. The cause of death has not been identified yet. 

Shirin was adopted from India in June 2016. Mathews had earlier said that the girl had developmental disabilities and was malnourished when she was adopted hence a special diet regimen was required for her to gain weight.

He had initially given a statement that he had asked the girl to stand outside at 3 am near a tree across an alley from the family's fence as she refused to drink milk. On Monday, he revised his statement saying that she choked on the milk and he removed her body from the home after he believed she had died.

The police are continuing its probe into the case as it believes that there may be additional arrests or modifications of the charges as the investigation proceeds.

Mathews has been charged with first-degree felony injury to a child, punishable by up to life in prison, and he was being held on $1 million bond. He was initially charged with abandoning or endangering a child after reporting the girl missing.

Perlich previously said police believe Sini Mathews was unaware of her husband's alleged punishment of the girl and that she was asleep at the time. She cooperated with police to identify Sherin's body, he said.