Authorities in Texas, United States, on Sunday found the body of a three-year-old in Richardson near Dallas, who they believe is the Indian child who has been missing since October 7, CNN reported.

Sherin Matthews has been missing since her father Wesley Mathews made her stand in the backyard of their house by herself at 3 am as punishment for not drinking her milk. There was no sign of her 15 minutes after she was sent outside. Wesley Mathews was arrested for suspected child endangerment and later released on a bond.

Spokesperson for the Richardson Police Department Sergeant Kevin Perlich said the body was “most likely” Sherin Mathews. Although a medical examiner has not confirmed whether they had, indeed, found the child, her parents have been informed of the development.

The body was found in a culvert about a kilometre from the Matthews’ home. The Richardson Police said search dogs had helped with the operation, NBC News reported.

Besides the police, teams from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Marshals and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children have been participating in the search for the missing three-year-old. The police are now waiting for the FBI to process the evidence recovered from the spot on Sunday, Perlich said.

Sherin Matthews was born in India and was adopted by the Mathews’ family. She suffered from malnourishment before arriving in the US, and was on a special diet.