As the search for a missing Georgia toddler Quinton Simon continues, Chatam County police say every available resource has been used to try and find the child.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, 1-year-old Quinton was last seen wearing a light blue Sesame Street shirt and black pants, the Chatham County Police Department said. Investigators have not issued an AMBER Alert because they’ve not determined the boy was abducted, but they said that possibility has not been ruled out.
Quinton’s mother reported him missing at about 9 a.m. Wednesday from their Savannah home, saying her boyfriend last saw the child about 6 a.m. that morning. The FBI, along with numerous other agencies, is now involved in the search.
“We’ve tried to use every available resource to get a better understanding of what’s happened with little Quinton,” Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said Friday morning.
“Detectives are working 18-20 hour days and some localized outdoor searches continue, including a search today of a pond.”
The Chatham County Police Department said it had responded to the home twice in the past, but neither call was about a missing child. The department also said the disappearance doesn’t seem to be related to any custody dispute and that all parties are cooperating in the investigation.
Police told WSAV that the boy’s father has been ruled out because he was confirmed to be far away from the home at the time Quinton disappeared.
Neighbors told the station they’ve seen the toddler wandering around outside his home and in the street in the past.
“He was running back and forth in front of the house and I was afraid he was gon’ get hit,” one neighbor said.
Babysitter Says She Wasn’t Needed on Morning Quinton Disappeared
In an interview with WSAV, Diana McCarta, who identified herself as the babysitter, said that she’s been taking care of Quinton and his little brother for around six months. She watches the children daily, she said, even when their mother isn’t working.
McCarta said she was supposed to babysit on Wednesday morning, but the family contacted her and told her that she wasn’t needed for the day. She found it odd that the plans were changed so quickly, then later found out the toddler had been reported missing.
“I got a text this morning saying they would not be here, would not be babysitting them at 5:29 [a.m.] Which was kind of odd because I have them even when she doesn’t work,” McCarta told WSAV.
“And then I get a text at 9 a.m. saying have I seen Quinton? I immediately go to their house. I try to help them look, they didn’t want that. So, I’ve been just waiting around like everyone else.”
Grandmother Says She Doesn’t Know if She Trusts Quinton’s Mother
Quinton’s grandparents, Thomas and Billie Jo Howell, identified the child’s mother as their daughter, 22-year-old Leilani.
“She hasn’t always done the right thing,” Billie Jo told ABC 22. “Sometimes she does really great, sometimes she doesn’t. I don’t know what to think right now. I don’t know what to believe, because I don’t think anybody ever believes this is going to happen to them. I don’t know if I can trust her or I don’t. I just know I’m hurting and I want this baby home. He’s my baby.”
The grandparents are now pushing for answers. Billie Jo said she’s the child’s custodian and wants him back home.
“He’s just a baby,” Billie Jo said. “And I want him home, he’s just a baby.”
To Report Information on Quinton Simon
- Call 911 or submit a tip to the Chatham County Police Department’s Crime Tip at https://police.chathamcountyga.gov/Tips.
- Submit a tip through the CrimeStoppers online tip portal at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=757.
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[Featured image: Handout/Chatham County police]
