Toccoa Man Arrested in Thefts Targeting Youth Summer Camps at Toccoa Falls College

TOCCOA, GA – A multi-agency effort, bolstered by community tips, has led to the arrest of a Toccoa man suspected of multiple thefts at Toccoa Falls College (TFC) while the campus hosted church-sponsored summer camps.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Criminal Investigations Division received information from Toccoa Falls College officials regarding the thefts. On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, TFC security officers contacted SCSO investigators for assistance concerning a suspicious person seen on campus the previous evening.

Further investigation, including documentation and video footage provided by TFC security, revealed that a male individual had entered a campus dormitory on six separate days over a three-week period. Multiple thefts occurred during this timeframe, coinciding with the college hosting various church camps.

SCSO investigators were able to identify Christopher Rentrell Colbert, 29, of Toccoa, from the surveillance footage due to a prior history with him. Investigators then obtained sufficient probable cause for arrest warrants for Colbert and a search warrant for his primary listed residence on Hillside Drive.

At approximately 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 16, 2025, the SCSO Crime Suppression Unit executed the search warrant at the Hillside Drive residence but could not locate Colbert. Deputies then checked additional residences at the Falls Park apartment complex, again without success.

Early that afternoon, a “Wanted” poster featuring Colbert and his charges was published on the SCSO’s app and social media pages. This led to multiple concerned citizens contacting the Sheriff’s Office by phone and through Facebook with information regarding Colbert’s possible whereabouts.

The Crime Suppression Unit received a crucial tip about a vehicle in which Colbert might be a passenger. Investigators determined the vehicle’s direction of travel, noting it also had a malfunctioning brake light. A Toccoa Police Department (TPD) officer was then positioned to conduct a traffic stop.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., SCSO investigators arrived on scene with the TPD officer and located Colbert in the back seat of the vehicle. He was taken into custody by SCSO investigators, and TPD transported him to the Stephens County Jail without incident.

Colbert is charged with three counts of Burglary, three counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit Burglary, and six counts of Criminal Trespass. He remains in jail pending a bond hearing.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office extended its gratitude to TFC security officers for their swift actions and ongoing efforts to ensure campus safety, to the concerned citizens who submitted tips, and to the Toccoa Police Department for assisting with Colbert’s capture.