'Someone came in and took him': Chilling 911 dispatch call on the morning Quinton Simon went missing
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA: A 911 dispatch call has been released nearly a week after 20-month-old Quinton Simon disappeared from his home.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were assisted by neighbors as they scoured the area hoping to find some sign of the toddler. Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said on Monday, October 10, that the 911 call placed by Simon's mother Leilani would not be publicly released so it doesn't impede the ongoing investigation. However, a dispatch call has now emerged, offering some insight into what the police were told on the morning of the toddler's disappearance.
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"Complainant advised her 1-year-old son is missing," the 911 dispatcher is heard saying in audio footage obtained by WJCL. "She woke up, her door was open. Advised he's unable to open a door. Thinks someone came in and took him."
The aforementioned 911 call was made on Wednesday, October 5, when Simon was last seen at home around 6 am and was found to be missing about three hours later. Chatham Fire was summoned on Monday to the home so they could begin pumping the backyard pool, although it's unclear if they found any clues that would lead to the child. More than 40 FBI agents and personnel are assisting with the probe. Chatham County Police previously said they hoped Quinton is still alive as they didn't believe there was any foul play involved.
However, court documents obtained by WJCL suggested the family was at odds prior to the child's disappearance. According to the documents, Simon's grandmother Billie Jo Howell was trying to remove Leilani and her boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, from the residence. "They have damaged my property and at this point, no one is living in peace," Howell was quoted as saying in the document. She added that she wanted Leilani and Youngkin out of the home "as soon as possible."
Quinton Simon has not been seen since Wednesday.
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) October 10, 2022
His mother says the 20-month-old disappeared from his playpen in their home near Savannah, Georgia.
40 FBI agents are now searching for the little boy and authorities are calling it a criminal investigation. pic.twitter.com/AcRpm0Vg5l
The records also indicate that Quinton's grandparents -- Howell and her husband Thomas -- are the ones who have legal custody of the toddler and his three-year-old brother. "She hasn't always done the right thing," Howell said of her daughter on Thursday, October 6, as quoted by WJCL. "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."
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Hadley vowed that police will do everything in their power to find the boy. "There's a very sequential process that takes place here," Hadley told reporters on Friday, October 7. "It may be frustrating to the general public, it may be frustrating to y'all that things aren't developing as quickly as you may like. But we've got to make sure that we're doing the right thing, that we're being lawful, making sure we dot our I's and cross our T's. So that if we discover evidence, it can be admissible in court and we can use it in court if we have to." A search of the home, the backyard pool, and a nearby pond has been conducted at the time of publication, police said.
If you or anyone you know has information regarding the case, you are urged to contact the tipline at 912-667-3134.