Newark Man Sentenced for Boonton Arson
Published on July 11, 2025
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Boonton Police Officer-In-Charge Captain Chris Petonak announce that Davon Fields, 46, has been sentenced in connection with a commercial warehouse fire that occurred in November 2024 in the Town of Boonton, New Jersey, in which copper products were stolen.
On June 2, 2025, Fields pled guilty before Judge Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C. to second-degree Aggravated Arson, third-degree Burglary, third-degree Theft, and third-degree Criminal Mischief.
On July 11, Judge Amirata sentenced Fields to an aggregate sentence of eight (8) years in New Jersey State Prison, with four (4) years of parole ineligibility.
At approximately 8:13 p.m. on November 3, 2024, the Boonton Police and Boonton Fire Departments responded to a commercial warehouse fire at 95 Fulton Street. Fire was observed in the warehouse area, as well as a separately secured area leased by a pharmaceutical supply company. The Boonton Fire Department extinguished the two-alarm blaze with the mutual aid companies from surrounding jurisdictions.
A subsequent investigation identified multiple points of origin, a heavy odor of petroleum, and other signs that the fire had been intentionally set. Investigators recovered a gasoline-type canister nozzle and obtained video surveillance depicting two masked individuals enter the warehouse shortly before the fire. During the investigation law enforcement learned approximately $233,000 worth of copper materials had gone missing from the interiors of equipment belonging to another company using the warehouse.
Further investigation placed the warehouse manager, Davon Fields, in the area of the warehouse late at night on November 1 and again on November 3, 2024, at the time of the arson. The investigation determined Fields visited a scrapyard on November 1 and November 2, 2024, and sold significant quantities of copper on both occasions.
Fields was subsequently arrested and charged on January 13, 2025.
Prosecutor Carroll recognized and commended the extensive investigative efforts that went into this case, including by members of the Town of Boonton Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Arson and Environmental Crimes Unit with assistance from the Special Operations Division, in particular, the High Tech Crimes Unit.
Prosecutor Carroll said, “This case involved a considerable amount of forensic evidence, both physical and digital, for investigators to review and analyze. I applaud the solid, collaborative efforts of members of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, and our partners in the Boonton Police and Morris County Sheriff’s Office, which brought to light the multi-faceted criminal activity at work. This case went far beyond a straightforward fire, and I want to recognize how their due diligence and teamwork ensured this defendant was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Media inquiries concerning this press release should be directed to mknab@co.morris.nj.us.