Lumpkin said she was aware her child, two-year-old Cortez Johnson was being harmed over the course of several days and failed to seek proper medical attention. She has been arrested seven times for Larceny since 2000.

The Columbia police said this is her first case involving abuse. 

The bond on the charge was $4,500. The case remains under investigation and Horace Johnson is still at large.

Neighbors said Cortez's family is a mystery to them.

Tyra Chatman, a neighbor of Cortez's family, says the family been in the neighborhood for about a month. She said her kids would play outside with the two-year-old.

"I lived here two years, and I don't really know them across the street," said Chatman.

Chatman was shocked to find out Cortez died from what police say appears to be repeated child abuse.

"None appear to be one dramatic injury, but it appears to be a series of injuries that led to the death of the child," said Captain Brad Nelson of the Columbia Police Department.

Police say the mother brought two-year-old Cortez Johnson to the hospital. Nelson believes the father, Horace Johnson, may have been there. Now police also say the father, Horace Johnson, is the main suspect. The police were still looking for him as of Wednesday night.

Johnson also has a criminal record. He has been arrested 14 times since 2003 including one adult abuse charge in 2006.

"Because it is an ongoing investigation we can only say at this time that we're only looking at one suspect and that's Mr. Johnson," said Nelson. "Obviously, things could change but at this point the mother is being quite cooperative with us in regards to the injuries the child sustained."

Tyra said she didn't see him much and can't imagine someone doing that to their own child.

"It makes me feel terrible, that's scary, that's just a shame. And two years old at that," she said.

According to Columbia police, the child's injuries came over a long period of time, not necessarily recently. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday at 9:00 a.m. The autopsy should reveal whether the death is a homicide

Police are looking for Horace Johnson and ask if you know anything about his location to please call Crimestoppers at 875-TIPS.