By: Richard L. Smith
A Newark man has been charged in connection with a fire at a Boonton warehouse and the theft of copper materials worth over $230,000, according to information released by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Davon Fields, 45, who served as the warehouse manager, faces multiple charges, including aggravated arson, burglary, theft, and tampering with evidence.
The charges stem from an incident on November 3, 2024, when Boonton Police and Fire Departments responded to a two-alarm blaze at a commercial warehouse on Fulton Street.
Firefighters extinguished flames in both the main warehouse area and a separately secured section leased by a pharmaceutical supply company.
Investigators later determined the fire had been intentionally set, identifying multiple points of origin, a strong petroleum odor, and other signs of arson.
Surveillance footage captured two masked individuals entering the warehouse shortly before the fire.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that $233,000 worth of copper materials had been removed from equipment owned by another company operating within the warehouse.
Further inquiries revealed Fields had visited the warehouse late at night on November 1 and again on the night of the fire.
Additionally, Fields was seen at a scrapyard on November 1 and 2, where he allegedly sold large amounts of copper.
On January 13, 2025, Fields was charged with a series of offenses, including two counts of aggravated arson, conspiracy to commit aggravated arson, burglary, theft, criminal mischief, fencing, and tampering with evidence.
He has been detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility under the Criminal Justice Reform Act and is awaiting further court proceedings.