Quinton Simon's Mother Allegedly Beat Toddler to Death with 'Object' After Using Drugs: Prosecutors

The indictment against Leilani Simon alleges she caused Quinton "cruel and excessive physical pain" before his death

Quinton Simon, Leilani Simon. Photo: FBI Atlanta; Chatham County Police

Quinton Simon's mother allegedly beat the 20-month-old Georgia boy to death with an "object" in early October while high on a controlled substance, prosecutors say.

A 19-count indictment, filed Wednesday, charges 22-year-old Leilani Simon with three counts of murder, as well as making false statements, concealing a death and other counts.

The indictment, which was posted online by WSAV, alleges that on Oct. 5, Simon used an undetermined object to severely beat Quinton, causing "serious bodily injury" and ultimately causing the child's death.

The indictment alleges this "malicious" assault caused Quinton "cruel and excessive physical pain" before his death.

Simon then allegedly "discarded" her son's remains in a dumpster at the Azalea Mobile Home Plaza, about two miles from her house. Simon allegedly lied to police about the purpose of the trip, telling them she went to the mobile home park to obtain the topical pain reliever Orajel from her friend Misty, per the indictment.

Simon had actually met up with her drug dealer on the day before Quinton's death, the indictment alleges, and was purportedly still high on a controlled substance at the time of Quinton's killing. The document also alleges that Simon lied to investigators by saying she'd only used marijuana in the previous 24 hours.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

When initially reporting Quinton missing, Simon claimed her son had vanished from his playpen inside their Georgia home. Early on, authorities believed foul play wasn't involved. But the Chatham County Police Department said later that Simon had become the "prime suspect" in the case.

Simon also initially made public pleas for help in finding the little boy. "We're just hoping that he's in somebody's house and they're feeding him and maybe they wanted a baby or couldn't have a baby," she told WTOC-TV, when her son was still considered missing. "Maybe they thought they were his savior. That's our best hope at this point."

"I'm here," she told the station. "I've been here every day since this. I'm not running and I'm not hiding. And if something does come up that I am at fault, I will take myself to that police station."

Human remains were found in the Superior Landfill in Savannah on Nov. 18. DNA analysis confirmed they belonged to Quinton, per an FBI statement.

It is unclear if Simon had entered a plea to the charges against her. Efforts to contact her lawyer were unsuccessful.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.