K9 Dax helps Burlington police arrest catalytic converter theft suspects

Two men accused of trying to strip catalytic converters from Ken’s Cars ended up in the Alamance County Detention Center after Burlington police say K9 Dax helped track them down from South Mebane Street to East Sixth Street and Avon Avenue. Billy Grey Cates, 51, and Jason Lyle Lunsford, 49, were charged with felony larceny of motor vehicle parts, damaging property to obtain nonferrous metals, and resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer. Officers said they recovered two backpacks, a battery-powered saw and several saw blades believed to have been used in the theft attempt.

Burlington police said the call came in at 12:22 a.m. on May 5, 2026, after 911 callers reported flashlights and the sound of electrical sawing at 960 South Mebane Street. When officers arrived, the two suspects ran, setting off a short foot chase before officers and the dog team caught them. Police said both men were held without bond because of pending cases under North Carolina’s Bond Integrity Act.

The case shows why catalytic converter theft remains a steady property crime. The parts contain precious metals that can be sold quickly, and national anti-theft data has put the resale value at roughly $50 to $250 per converter. North Carolina law also lists catalytic converters as nonferrous metals, which is why prosecutors use the state’s metal-theft statute in these cases. For victims, the damage can be expensive fast: repair bills can run from a few hundred dollars to thousands, and comprehensive auto coverage generally pays repair or actual cash value less the deductible, leaving the owner or business to absorb the first hit.

For Burlington, the arrests fit a pattern the city has seen before. Police also investigated converter theft reports in Burlington in 2015, when apartment complexes were targeted, a reminder that the crime is often fast, noisy and costly even when officers move in time to stop it. In this case, a sharp 911 call, a quick response and K9 Dax turned a suspected theft into a felony arrest before the thieves could get away.