(Cedar City, UT) - Dwayne Lewis Rouse, 21, and Kristine Gabrielle Verdugo, 21, of Cedar City have been booked into the Iron County jail charged with a string of burglaries beginning in September, 2010.

Rouse was booked on 38 counts of theft and burglary. Verdugo was booked on 27 counts of theft and burglary. The charges against the pair stem from 11 burglary incidents beginning in early September. The charges range from class B misdemeanors to 2nd degree felonies. If found guilty, punishment for a second degree felony may include incarceration in state prison for between one to fifteen years.

Cedar City Police officers received a break in several burglary cases thanks to an astute burglary victim. In the evening of October 27, one burglary victim recognized what he believed to be a 4-wheeler stolen from his business a few nights earlier. He then gave the description of the rider as well as the Off-Highway Vehicle’s (OHV) to police officers and several people in the neighborhood.

Around 8:00AM on Thursday, October 28, officers received a tip regarding OHV’s in the area 1200 North block of North Cedar Boulevard. Upon arrival officers identified Dwayne Rouse and Kristine Verdugo as the riders of the OHV’s the night before. The OHV’s were located on the property of Rouse and Verdugo’s residence and confirmed to be stolen.

Further investigation linked Rouse and Verdugo to a total of 11 unsolved business burglaries beginning in early September.

The 11 burglaries account for over $23,000 in missing property including OHV’s, computers, office equipment, tools, and other electronics. Although many of the missing items were recovered, efforts to recover all of the stolen property continue.

The Cedar City Police Department suggests the following precautions to prevent burglaries. Install a quality alarm system, ensure exterior doors and windows are of sturdy construction, lock exterior doors and windows when leaving, and install bright exterior lighting.