The mother of Quinton Simon, a 20-month-old Georgia boy who disappeared last month, has been charged with the disappearance and murder, police announced Monday.
“We are deeply saddened by this case, but grateful that we are one step closer to justice for little Quinton,” said the Chatham County Police Department. TweetedLeilani Simon, 22, reported the arrest.
CCPT announced earlier Their belief is that Quinton is dead. They also confirmed that Simon was their prime suspect.
The mother of three is being held at the Chatham County Detention Center pending a bond hearing, police said.
“We are not expecting any further arrests in connection with this case,” the police said.
Simon first reported his son missing on October 5 at 9am. She was reportedly last seen in the Savannah home she shared with her boyfriend, her 3-year-old son and his mom.
“Since that time, millions of people have followed Quinton’s case and are waiting for answers,” police tweeted Monday.
Simon reportedly told dispatchers she believed someone had taken her son from his playpen when she awoke to an open door just before 9 a.m.
However, the 911 call came hours after Simon texted Quinton’s babysitter, Diana McCarta, to cancel plans for the day.
“I got a text this morning saying they won’t be here — they won’t be babysitting at 5:29. [a.m.]. It was weird because I had them even when she wasn’t working,” McCarta WSAV said.
An investigation into Quinton’s disappearance He soon became a criminal In nature, shortly after Simon’s mother told the police that she did not believe her daughter.
“She didn’t always do the right thing,” admitted Billie Joe Howell in an interview.
Law enforcement was there He brought search dogs For the family’s home, they looked for an indoor and outdoor pool and a nearby pool. The FBI was also on the scene.
Police spent nearly a month at a local landfill in a mission they described as “huge – yet, difficult” in hopes of finding Quinton’s remains. No information was released on whether they eventually found any part of the child’s body.
Quinton’s father, Henry Moss, 24, had previously said he had not heard from Leilani in months, but warned police that she was not a good mother.
“She’s a horrible person, she’s going to jail or hell. She’s bad. She shouldn’t be in society.” He told the Daily Mail.
“If she didn’t like him, she could have told me. I would have come and got him,” Moss added.
Chatham police said more details about Simon’s arrest will be released soon.
