Arrest Made In Connection With Girl Scout Theft

A man accused of stealing money from Girls Scouts was taken into custody March 4, officials said Tuesday.

Colin Sawyer, 20, of Phelan, was booked into the Victor Valley Station. Authorities said Sawyer walked up to a group of Girl Scouts who had set up a table of in front of the Stater Bros. in Phelan, grabbed a bag containing all their sales cash and ran.

That happened about 6:50 p.m. March 3 as the girls and their adult leaders packed up from a day selling cookies, officials said. Investigators cast a wide net to find the culprit, sending out a photo of a suspect captured by surveillance cameras.

On Monday, March 04, the effort paid off and deputies said they identified the suspect as Sawyer.  At 7:20 that night, deputies said they spotted Sawyer at a gas station near Phelan and Baldy Mesa roads and took him into custody without incident.

Sawyer was expected to appear in court on Wednesday, according to San Bernardino County jail records.

Anyone with more info was urged to call Detective Jeff Toll at (760) 868-1006 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at (760) 249-3212. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-tip Hotline at 1-800-782-7463 or leave information on the We-Tip Hotline at www.wetip.com.