DeKalb police captain Suzanne Kaulbach charged in theft case

A DeKalb County police captain has been charged in connection with a series of thefts in Clayton County. Police seized items from a home belonging to Captain Suzanne Kaulbach back in May. A Clayton County judge ordered Kaulbach to jail after a hearing on Monday.

Kaulbach was charged with two felonies: theft by receiving, as well as possession of a jon boat with no hull identification number.

During her appearance in court on Tuesday, Captain Suzanne Kaulbach was granted a $10,000 bond.

Police say the items were reported stolen by residents who live in the Lakeside Community along Jodeco Drive.  Investigators seized several boats, ATV's and other fishing items. Residents say items started disappearing from their boat docks in March-- not long after Captain Kaulbach, her partner and several teens moved into their home.

Kaulbach told the court on Monday that she didn't realize that her partner's 17-year-old son had stolen the items from neighbors.

"I wouldn't have bought tires for one of them if I had thought it was stolen and I wouldn't have left them on the property if I thought they were stolen," Kaulbach said.

Clayton County District Attoey Tracy Lofton said that Kaulbach had the responsibility to dig deeper, especially after a Clayton County police officer told the captain that he suspected the jon boat was stolen.

Kaulbach's attoey, Ricky Morris, Jr., said the charges were overkill because Kaulbach believed the boat was bought on Craigslist and three teenagers have already been arrested and charged in the theft.

Morris was working to secure a bond of Kaulbach late Monday.