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Neighbors relieved after explosives arrest

A Carbon County man is behind bars after police found homemade explosives and bomb-making materials inside his home.

WEATHERLY, Pa. — Below is a picture of the homemade explosive device police found in a man's backpack outside of the Dollar General in Weatherly.

Credit: Weatherly PD
Homemade explosive device allegedly found in Anthony Petrone's backpack

Police ran into 28-year-old Anthony Petrone at the convenience store earlier this month and asked to search his bag, as he's known to carry and use illegal drugs. Petrone later told police he had forgotten the explosive was inside his backpack.

Then over the weekend, police searched Petrone's home and said they found another explosive as well as bomb-making materials.

Petrone was arrested on charges including - unlawful possession or manufacture of weapons of mass destruction and risking catastrophe.

RELATED: Man arrested in Carbon County after police find explosives

According to court papers, an agent with the state bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives said the device found in Petrone's backpack was the largest homemade device of that type that he'd seen in his career.

"Just shocked with what's going on here," said neighbor Todd Kester.

According to court paperwork, Petrone told investigators he learned how to make explosive devices from a friend. He says he and that friend have made several. Petrone says he would order the supplies online. 

"I'm just glad that they caught him, they said they worked with the state police, the local police, and they caught him before anything happened," said neighbor Andrew Kurtz.

Police say, over the past year, people who live in the borough have complained of loud noises that sound like explosions.

When asked if he was the source of those noises, Petrone told police he may have set off one or two of his homemade bombs in his backyard.

"You would hear these bangs that sounded like maybe an M-80 or a shotgun blast go off and nobody knew what was going on, and then no one ever said anything else about it, and I guess that's where it was coming from - because it always sounded like it was coming from down that way," said Kurtz.

Petrone is locked up in Carbon County Prison.

He was also charged with reckless endangerment, one count for each person he put at risk inside the Dollar General.

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