Warrant issued for woman in abduction case

Failed to appear in court Wednesday

MEDIA COURTHOUSE » A bench warrant was issued Wednesday after a woman accused of taking a 10-yearold boy from his grandmother and attempting to fight police officers failed to appear in court.

Brooke Anne Metra, 30, is charged with interference in the custody of a child for the May 22 disappearance of 10-year-old Mason Brooks, as well as escape, flight to avoid apprehension, resisting arrest and attempted simple assault for attempting to leave the Folcroft Police Department following her arrest in the custody matter.

Metra previously waived a preliminary hearing in district court and was formally arraigned in July. She had reportedly already missed one prior court appearance before Court of

Common Pleas Judge Margaret Amoroso, who issued the bench warrant Wednesday.

Folcroft police reported via Facebook May 23 that Brooks had been found after he went missing the day before and that three people had been detained. Only Metra was found to have committed any criminal actions in allegedly abducting the boy from his home on the 2100 block of Delmar Drive, Folcroft Detective Cpl. Dan White said at the time.

Police were called to the boy’s residence about 8 p.m. May 22 for a report of a missing juvenile, according to an affidavit of probable cause written by White.

Responding officers spoke with the child’s grandmother and legal guardian, who said Brooks had not been seen since about 5:30 p.m. that day. She said no one had been given permission to take him anywhere, according to the affidavit.

White and Delaware County Detective Thomas Scarpato determined during their investigation that the boy left the residence with an unknown male and female.

All three were seen getting into a black Nissan Altima that the man and woman had arrived in, according to the affidavit, which then traveled west on Delmar Drive.

White and Scarpato developed Brooke and Steven Metra as the possible man and woman in the vehicle, which was tracked to the area of the 5400 block of Chancellor St. in Philadelphia, according to the affidavit.

The investigators found an address on that block where they believed the man and woman were staying and went there with detectives from the District Attorney’s Office, Folcroft Police Department and

Philadelphia Police Department.

After knocking on the door and identifying themselves, officers gained entrance to the home and found a boy who identified himself as Brooks, according to the affidavit.

Officers then saw movement in the basement and found Metra hiding under some blankets, where she was taken into custody, the affidavit says. Steven Metra and another man at the Philadelphia residence were determined not to have any witting part in Brooke Metra’s plans and were not arrested, said White.

White said Brooke Metra is also a granddaughter of the boy’s guardian, but had not been in contact with the family for more than a year. He said Metra’s own children had recently been removed from her custody and this appeared to be some plot to reclaim a child for herself.

The boy does not know

Metra well, White said, but appeared to have gone along with her willingly when she arrived at the house Saturday because he knows her as family.

After Metra was preliminarily arraigned on the morning of May 24, she was somehow able to escape from her handcuffs while awaiting transportation to the county jail and fled the station, according to a second affidavit of probable cause also written by White.

White noticed Metra was no longer seated and handcuffed to a bar, as she had been after the arraignment, and notified other officers, the affidavit says. Deputy Chief Chris Eiserman searched the area outside the station and spotted Metra banging on the windows of a vehicle in front of the Folcroft police station, according to the affidavit.

“As Deputy Chief Eiserman was approaching the vehicle, Metra jumped in the passenger’s seat and started fighting with the operator/victim,” according to the affidavit. “Deputy Chief Eiserman then attempted to place Metra back in custody. While doing so, Metra resisted arrest and was trying to push and kick Deputy Chief Eiserman.”

White later interviewed the driver who said she was parking in front of the station when Metra approached and began banging on the window, offering her $40 for a ride, according to the affidavit.

When the woman refused, Metra allegedly got into the passenger seat and demanded the woman drive off. When she again refused, Metra began fighting with her and took the keys out of the ignition before Eiserman intervened and placed Metra back in handcuffs, the affidavit says.

Metra posted 10% of $10,000 bail June 17 after it was decreased from 10% of $50,000, according to online court records.