Bank Records of Priest Suspected in Embezzling Seized : Inquiry: Authorities also find a switchblade, cherry bombs, stolen drivers licenses and plane ticket to Mexico.

Ventura County investigators searched offices and a self-storage locker of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles last week, seizing bank papers, a switchblade and other possessions of a missing Simi Valley priest suspected of embezzling $43,000 from parishioners’ donations.

The items seized from the archdiocese also included church collection envelopes, two stolen drivers licenses, an airline ticket to Mexico, a supply of cherry bombs and a handwritten note saying “cocaine addiction”--all taken originally from the car and apartment used by Father David Piroli.

Piroli, 36, has been missing from St. Peter Claver Church since June 3, five days after Hollywood police arrested him on suspicion of embezzlement and drug possession after finding cocaine and $10,000 in his church car.

Piroli told Hollywood police officers the cash was six years of stipends the church paid him for saying Mass, according to court records. The cocaine belonged to someone else, he told police.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office dropped the drug charge because there was not enough cocaine to warrant prosecution, and dropped the embezzlement charge because the Simi Valley church was out of the office’s jurisdiction, Deputy Dist. Atty. Norm Shapiro said.

Several days later, church employees found $50,000 more in Piroli’s church apartment--some in collection envelopes and all in small bills or checks payable to the church. A Ventura County judge issued a warrant July 10 for Piroli’s arrest on a charge of embezzlement, but he has not been charged.

Last week, Piroli phoned investigators once and church officials several times, but he still refuses to surrender, Auxiliary Bishop G. Patrick Ziemann said.

Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. Mary C. Peace said Wednesday that she hopes the seized items--including numerous bankbooks and checks issued to Piroli--will help her piece together a criminal case against the fugitive priest.

The searches over several days last week recovered material from the church car that Hollywood police turned over to the archdiocese after charges against Piroli were dropped.

Among them, investigators found a black-handled switchblade knife and an assortment of fireworks, including cherry bombs.

“It’s a mystery,” Peace said of the items. “I can’t imagine why a priest would have those.”

Archdiocese officials have been cooperating with the investigation, Peace added.

Among the seizures were church records which apparently show that collections had fallen off by about $43,000 a year since 1990, when Piroli was assigned there, according to the records filed with the search warrant.

Church officials believe that Piroli embezzled the money from St. Peter Claver Church, the records said.