Saying missing hiker Meredith Emerson is likely dead, Saturday evening police charged Gary Michael Hilton with kidnapping the 24-year-old woman.

Hilton was transferred from GBI custody to Union County to face the kidnapping charges.

"A superior court judge in Union County signed an arrest warrant for kidnapping with bodily harm," the GBI's John Bankhead said at a news conference just before 6 p.m.

"It's not looking favorable that she's alive," officials said at that same news conference.

As Bankhead spoke, people standing nearby who may have been family and friends of the missing 24-year-old broke into tears. They huddled together, crying and consoling each other, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

"This is a search and recovery effort," Bankhead added, changing from a search and rescue and signaling that crews are now searching for Emerson's body.

"A lot of evidence has been uncovered," Bankhead said, but would not elaborate. "We have received a lot of public input and we've put together a timeline that puts the two of them together."

Police found items belonging to Emerson in a dumpster Saturday in Cumming, outside outside a Quick Trip store where surveillance cameras reportedly captured Emerson.

The discovery triggered a new search for Emerson's body, 24, as police fanned out into a wooded area near the store searching for any clues.

Emerson's dog was found Friday night at a Kroger store just blocks from the Quick Trip.

Emerson has been missing since New Year's Day when she went for a hike with her dog on Blood Mountain in Vogel State Park in Union County.

Officers spotted Hilton at a convenience store off Ashford-Dunwoody Road Friday night and began questioning him about the disappearance of the 24-year-old hiker who has been missing since Tuesday.

Hilton remained in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on a prior warrant for failure to appear in federal court on a charge of abandoning property in a national park.

"Meredith was not with him," Union County investigator Kimberly Verdone said.

About 50 members of the Georgia Defense Force certified in search and rescue joined the effort on Saturday. They plan to be back on the mountain again Sunday.

Teams scaled back their search area on Saturday, concentrating on a five-mile grid on Blood Mountain. On Friday they combed a 400-square mile area, but turned up no sign of Emerson.

Her dog, Emma, wandered into the Kroger store Friday in Cumming, about 60 miles from where Emerson was last seen.

"The dog looked like she hadn't been running in the woods for three days," said Michelle Preston who found Emma.

Paxton said Saturday that investigators have surveillance tape showing that Hilton had been in the area where the dog was found but added, "We don't have the luxury of him cooperating in the search for the woman."

Hilton appears to have been living in his van, according to Bankhead.

An acquaintance of Hilton told Channel 2 that she helped Hilton order an expandable baton like the one found near the missing hiker's car. She said he always had the baton with him.

Little is known about Hilton. He was convicted of two felonies; one for the possession and distribution of marijuana, another for theft by taking. According to public records, his last known address was on 11th Street in Atlanta in 1999.

Emerson's roommate said Emerson left a note saying she went hiking with her dog. Authorities located Emerson's car -- a Chevy Cavalier -- and her dog's leash.

Police also found a police baton and a pair of sunglasses near Emerson's car.

Another hiker told officials he saw a man with a similar baton clipped to his belt hiking on the same trail that Emerson took.

Hilton Acquaintance Says He Always Carried Baton

An acquaintance of Hilton’s told Channel 2 he would frequently walk his dog, Dandy, along Clairmont Road in DeKalb County. She said he also loved to hike in wooded areas. She said from what she saw, Hilton was usually friendly.

“He’d talk your ear off. (He was) very, very talkative and friendly to me,” said Barbara – who asked us to only use her first name. Barbara said 61-year-old Gary Hilton lived and worked inside a two-story building near her office for almost 7 years.

"He'd come over and he'd ask me to do computer searches for him and make up fliers for him,” said Barbara.

He distributed promotional fliers to drum up business for a siding company. Its owner, John Tabor, also owns the building and told Channel 2 he has been cooperating with the GBI.

“He seemed friendly and I could see if the girl had a dog and he had a dog and the dogs were playing that yeah they'd chat and walk along,” said Barbara.

She said Hilton, who uses the nickname “Mack,” always told stories about people he’d meet on the trails. When he left DeKalb County two or three months ago, Barbara said she was surprised.

"I do know he has Multiple Sclerosis. He's in a lot of pain. He once told me he had about 6 years to live and that was a couple years ago and I was surprised when he told me he was going to go live in the woods cause that's a big step when you're ill,” said Barbara.

She said Hilton always carried an expandable baton with him. Barbara ordered it for him off the Internet. A baton was found along the trail near Emerson’s water bottle and her dog’s leash.

"I'm surprised, I really am. He seemed to treat ladies very nicely, certainly me and the other secretary that worked here before, never had any problems, or got the feeling that you needed to be on guard."

Over the years Hilton has moved around quite a bit and had several run-ins with the law. Channel 2 found at least five arrests in DeKalb and Cobb Counties – both misdemeanors and felonies.

One of Georgia's oldest and most popular state parks, Vogel is located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest.