An Amber Alert issued for the missing Richardson toddler Sherin Mathews
was discontinued Monday (October 9) afternoon, but authorities are still searching for the girl.
Sherin Mathews, 3, was last seen about 3 am Saturday (October 7) in her family's backyard.
The police said that the alert was discontinued because there were not enough leads. â€˜We need to have a specific vehicle or a suspect, and we lack that,â€™ Dallas News quoted police spokesman Kevin Perlich as saying. He said the Amber Alert could be reissued if authorities develop new leads.
Sherin's father, Wesley Mathews, 37, was arrested on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child. He was released from custody late Sunday after posting $250,000 bond.
Officials with Texas Child Protective Services removed the toddler's 4-year-old sister from the family Monday and placed her in protective custody as police continue to search for the missing child.
Mathews told police he put Sherin outside and told her to stand next to a large tree about 3 am as a punishment for not drinking milk. The tree was behind a fence, about 100 feet south of the family's home and across an alley.
Mathews admitted to police that he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley, the affidavit said.
The Humane Society of the United States says coyote attacks are rare and has recorded only two human fatalities since the 1980s.
Mathews told police he checked on Sherin about 3:15 a.m. and she was gone, the affidavit said. Police reportedly weren't alerted to her disappearance until hours later.
â€˜Why was the last sighting at 3 o'clock and the parents not call us until after 8 a.m., that's the question we want answered as well. As far as why she was out there, how long she was out there, that's the questions we have for the parents,â€™ the police spokesperson said.
The girl's mother does not face any charges.
Meanwhile, members of Emmanuel Bible Chapel in Irving, where Sherin and her parents are members, printed fliers with the girl's description and posted them in and around the Richland Meadows neighborhood over the weekend.

Amber alert withdrawn for missing toddler Sherin Mathews