NEED TO KNOW
- A 39-year-old Indianapolis man has been charged with attempted rape, attempted child molestation and other counts stemming from a May 24 incident
- According to reports, Bruce Pierce was shot by a mother who found him allegedly attempting to rape her 12-year-old daughter
- Pierce was treated at a local hospital but has since evaded Indianapolis police, who refused to comment on the investigation
A mother pulled out a gun and shot a man who she found attempting to rape her 12-year-old daughter in an Indianapolis area hotel room earlier this week, according to police.
Bruce Pierce, 39, was critically injured in the shooting and later charged with attempted rape, attempted child molestation, unlawful possession of a firearm, and confinement, according to Fox 59 and WTHR, which cite court documents.
Pierce has been registered on Indiana’s Sex Offender registry since September 2019, according to state records reviewed by PEOPLE. A warrant is currently issued for Pierce’s arrest in connection with the latest incident, records show.
The 39-year-old waste management worker was previously convicted twice on child molestation charges in 2016 and is currently classified as a “sexually violent predator,” state records show. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for the previous charges.
On Saturday, May 24, a mother allegedly walked into a hotel room to find Pierce pinning down her 12-year-old daughter with a gun in his hand, according to Fox 59 and WTHR, citing court documents. The woman’s daughter allegedly had part of her shirt ripped and said that Pierce was attempting to rip her clothes off while holding her arms down against the bed, the outlets reported, citing court records.
A spokesperson for the Indianapolis Police Department would not comment on the investigation and the ongoing search for Pierce when reached by PEOPLE.
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According to WTHR, the 12-year-old girl and her sister woke up their grandmother on the night of May 24 after realizing their mother hadn’t come home. The grandmother and the two children drove to a local Baymont Inn where they discovered the mother with Pierce in the hotel lobby, the outlet reported, citing court docs.
The mother and her other daughter were taking items to the family’s car when the 12-year-old girl was left alone with Pierce in his hotel room, WTHR reported. According to the outlet, when the mother returned, court documents allege she heard her 12-year-old daughter saying, “No, no, no,” while Pierce was allegedly on top of her and holding her down.
The mother then fired multiple shots at Pierce using her own weapon, WTHR reported, citing court documents.
Fox 59 and WTHR report the family was able to get away from Pierce and drove from the scene, while Pierce was later taken to Eskenazi Hospital and treated for his injuries.
Pierce was last seen at a local Regal 8 Inn on West Washington St. in Indianapolis, according to WTHR, but has been missing since Tuesday morning.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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