Authorities have arrested 45-year-old Newark resident Davon Fields on charges including aggravated arson, burglary, and theft, following an investigation into a warehouse fire in Boonton.
The blaze, which occurred on November 3, 2024, caused significant damage to a commercial facility at 95 Fulton Street.
Fire and Initial Investigation
- Date/Time: November 3, 2024, around 8:13 p.m.
- Response: Boonton Police and Fire Departments, with mutual aid from surrounding towns, responded to extinguish the flames.
- Findings: Investigators identified multiple points of origin for the fire, detected a strong odor of petroleum, and recovered a gasoline canister nozzle. Surveillance footage allegedly captured two masked individuals entering the warehouse shortly before the fire broke out.
Alleged Copper Theft Scheme
Authorities discovered that about $233,000 worth of copper had disappeared from equipment inside the warehouse. Fields, the warehouse manager, was allegedly present near the scene on November 1 and 3.
Investigators also claim that Fields visited a scrapyard on November 1 and 2, where he sold “significant quantities of copper.”
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Fields was charged on January 13, 2025, with the following offenses:
- Aggravated Arson (2 counts, second-degree)
- Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Arson (2 counts)
- Burglary (3 counts)
- Theft (third-degree)
- Criminal Mischief (3 counts)
- Fencing (third-degree)
- Attempt to Tamper with Evidence (third-degree)
- Possession of Burglary Tools (disorderly persons offense)
Fields is currently detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending further court proceedings under the Criminal Justice Reform Act.
Ongoing Investigation
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll praised the collaborative efforts of the Boonton Police Department, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Prosecutor’s Arson and Environmental Crimes Unit in investigating the case.
Fields remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This investigation is ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with additional information to come forward.
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