DPS trooper accused of theft, misconduct involving weapons

PHOENIX (AP) -- Court documents show the wife of an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper arrested on theft charges reported she believed he had illegally taken agency weapons or ammunition, resulting in a search that led to his arrest.

The probable cause statement supporting theft and weapons misconduct charges against 45-year-old John Petculescu was released after he appeared in court Friday. A judge ordered him released from without bond but said he must be fitted with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.

He had no lawyer present and there doesn't have a listed phone number.

The records show DPS detectives went to Petculescu's home in New River Tuesday and his wife allowed them to search the home. The search turned of thousands of rounds of loose ammunition and other ammo that was in boxes similar to what the agency buys. They also found eight "flash-bang" grenades used by SWAT teams that were traced to DPS.

The eight counts of theft and eight counts of misconduct involving weapons he faces stem from possessing the grenades.