A Toccoa man is behind bars after deputies linked him to a string of thefts at Toccoa Falls College. The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office says 29-year-old Christopher Rentrell Colbert was arrested Tuesday, July 16.
Colbert is accused of entering campus dorms multiple times during church-sponsored summer camps. He’s charged with three counts of burglary, three counts of attempted burglary, and six counts of criminal trespass.
The sheriff’s office shared details of the arrest in a press release.
Investigators say TFC security contacted them on June 24 after spotting a suspicious person on campus. Security footage showed a man entering a dorm on six separate occasions over a three-week period. College officials later confirmed several thefts had occurred during that time.
Deputies identified Colbert through prior contact and obtained arrest and search warrants for a home on Hillside Drive. On July 16, they executed the warrants but were unable to locate Colbert.
Later that day, the sheriff’s office posted a wanted notice on its app and social media. Several citizens responded with tips, one of which led police to a vehicle in which Colbert was believed to be a passenger. Toccoa police officers stopped the vehicle for a malfunctioning brake light. Authorities found Colbert in the back seat and took him into custody.
Stephens County investigators took Colbert into custody and booked him at the Stephens County Jail. As of Thursday, July 17, he remained in jail pending a bond hearing.
Stephens County Sheriff Rusty Fulbright thanked TFC security for their “quick and continued efforts” to keep the college campus safe. He also thanked the concerned citizens who submitted tips and the Toccoa Police Department for their assistance in Colbert’s capture.
