Charges: Chronic thief steals Metro Mobility bus, drives for hours around Ramsey County with police following

Deanna Weniger, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·2 min read

Jan. 26—A Minneapolis homeless man was charged after allegedly stealing a Metro Mobility bus and taking it on a joy ride around Ramsey and Washington counties before being arrested last week.

Brandon Scott Brose, 31, was charged in Ramsey County District Court with one count each of theft and fleeing police.

According to the criminal complaint, a bus driver at the First Transit Building in St. Paul started up the white Metro Mobility bus in the early morning hours of Jan. 20. She drove it to her personal vehicle to get items, leaving the bus briefly unattended with the keys inside.

Authorities say Brose hopped into the bus and drove off. The bus was fitted with a GPS, so police were able to locate it.

The stolen bus traveled through Woodbury, Mahtomedi, White Bear Township, Roseville, St. Paul and White Bear Lake. Officers from several jurisdictions followed with lights and sirens, but Brose refused to stop, charges say.

Officers said Brose ran through stop signs and violated other traffic laws as he repeatedly refused to pull over, charges say.

Sometime after 9 a.m., the bus was found abandoned near 811 Edmund Ave. in St. Paul. Brose was found walking nearby and arrested.

During a search of Brose, police recovered a syringe and glass tube used for smoking meth. During a search of the bus, police discovered the interior cameras had been covered with shaving cream.

Brose was convicted of stealing a Ford van in 2020. In 2021, he was convicted of stealing a Chrysler van for which he given three years of probation in lieu of a 13-month prison sentence by Judge David Brown. Brose's probation ends in Aug. 2024.

According to the complaint, he also is being investigated for his role in two other Metro Mobility bus thefts. He is being held at the Ramsey County jail with bail set at $15,000. His next court appearance is Feb. 7.