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Crime & Safety

More Copper Thefts on College Hill

Phillipsburg man charged with taking copper downspouts from Pennsylvania Avenue homes.

About two weeks ago, two Phillipsburg men were charged with stealing copper downspouts from houses on Paxinosa Avenue on Easton’s College Hill.

Now another Phillipsburg man is accused of stealing cooper downspouts on College Hill – this time from two homes on the 100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Christian J. Fielding, 26, was arraigned Friday afternoon, several hours after he allegedly stole a 10-foot-long piece of copper downspout from one of the Pennsylvania Avenue homes.

He also is charged with taking numerous copper downspouts Dec. 5 from another Pennsylvania Avenue home.

In the Dec. 5 incident, the home’s owner said the estimated replacement value of the downspouts is between $3,000 and $4,000.

The alleged theft was captured on surveillance video, according to a criminal complaint.

In Friday’s incident, the alleged theft caused an estimated $500 in damage, the home’s owner told police.

Fielding was stopped Friday driving a green Chrysler minivan at Lafayette and Brodhead streets on College Hill. A neighbor told police he saw a man later identified as Fielding trying to steal the piece of copper downspout. When he confronted him, the man fled in the green minivan, the complaint says.

In the Dec. 5 incident, Fielding is charged with theft by unlawful taking or disposition. In Friday’s incident, he is charged with criminal attempt to commit theft by unlawful taking, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and criminal mischief.

Fielding, of 358 Bates St., was arraigned later Friday by on-duty District Judge Diane Marakovits of Northampton and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail.

In the incident involving the two men, Ryan Hnasko and Joseph Duckworth – both 25 and of Phillipsburg – were jailed Dec. 17 on charges of stealing copper downspouts from homes on the 700 block of Paxinosa Avenue.

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