BOONTON, N.J. — Authorities have charged Davon Fields, 45, of Newark, in connection with a November 2024 warehouse fire in Boonton that investigators say was deliberately set to cover up the theft of copper materials worth more than $230,000.
The fire occurred on November 3, 2024, at a commercial warehouse on Fulton Street, where flames engulfed both the warehouse and a secured area leased by a pharmaceutical supply company. Boonton firefighters, with assistance from neighboring departments, extinguished the two-alarm blaze.
Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set, citing multiple points of origin, a strong petroleum odor, and a gasoline nozzle found at the scene. Surveillance footage captured two masked individuals entering the building shortly before the fire. Authorities allege that Fields, the warehouse manager, was in the area both on November 1 and again at the time of the fire.
Further investigation revealed that Fields sold large quantities of copper to a scrapyard on November 1 and November 2. The stolen materials, taken from equipment stored in the warehouse, were valued at approximately $233,000.
Fields was arrested and charged on January 13, 2025, with multiple crimes, including aggravated arson, burglary, theft, and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors allege Fields conspired to commit the arson in an attempt to conceal the theft.