Police: Man, Wife Go on String of Burglaries at Cabazon Outlets

A Santa Clarita couple were behind bars Thursday on suspicion of shoplifting from five stores at the Desert Hills Premium Outlets and stashing drugs in their nearby hotel room.

Sheriff's deputies found 25-year-old Natalie Dominique hiding in a dressing room at the Nike factory outlet at 48650 Seminole Drive about 5 p.m. Wednesday. She had been spotted shoplifting and ran from security, sheriff's Sgt. James Burton said.

"A search of Dominique's person and belongings revealed several articles of clothing and jewelry that had been reported stolen from five different outlet stores that day..." Burton said.

Not only did they find the stolen items with Dominique, but deputies also say they found: 

• .3 grams of heroin
• two Xanax pills
• five Hydrocodone pills

Dominique and her husband, 47-year-old Jeffrey Belanger, were staying in a room at Morongo Casino Resort and Spa, which was also then searched.

More drugs were found at that location, consisting of 6.6 grams of methamphetamine and 1.7 grams of heroin in the room's safe, according to Burton.

"Dominique and Belanger had conspired to burglarize several outlet stores that morning," Burton added.

Belanger went willingly to the sheriff's Cabazon station, where he was arrested.

The couple was booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, possession of heroin and possession for sale of methamphetamine. Belanger was also booked on suspicion of violating probation and committing a felony while on bail.

They were being held in lieu of $5,000 bail each and were expected to be arraigned Friday at the Banning Court, according to jail records.

City News Service contributed to this report.