JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade released additional details Friday relating to the beating death of a one-year-old child on Thursday morning. 

JPD and AMR responded to a disturbing call at Sunset Apartments, where the toddler was found severely beaten and unresponsive. According to Wade, the child’s death marks the 108th homicide in Jackson this year. 

The mother, Yolanda Hunter, and her acquaintance, 33-year-old Herman Coleman, are both charged with felony child abuse at this time. But Wade expects the charges to be upgraded to capital murder, pending further investigation and a completed autopsy report.

Hunter was taken into police custody Friday evening, but Coleman’s whereabouts are unknown. Wade revealed that Coleman was close to the child shortly before the baby stopped breathing. JPD is currently working with federal authorities to apprehend him. 

Wade, a 28-year veteran of JPD, said he was deeply affected by the incident. He noted that the abuse likely did not start Thursday. 

“The bruises, the trauma to that child was not something that just happened yesterday,” Wade said. 

Four other children at the residence are now in the custody of Child Protection Services. It is not clear at this time whether those children have also suffered any abuse.