INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) — A mother shot a convicted child molester several times in an Indianapolis hotel room after she allegedly caught him trying to rape her 12-year-old daughter.
Bruce Pierce of Indianapolis was critically hurt in the shooting, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.
Pierce is charged with attempted rape, a Level 1 felony; attempted child molestation, a Level 1 felony; possession of a firearm without a license, a Level 4 felony; and confinement, a Level 5 felony.
Pierce was also convicted of child molestation in 2016 and sentenced to eight years in prison, according to court records.
A warrant for his arrest has been issued.
The shooting occurred on May 24 at the Baymont Inn off Eagle View Drive in the northwest side of the city, court records state.
The victim, 12, explained to police that she went to the hotel with her great aunt to search for her mom. The mother of the victim was in the hotel with Pierce, and he led them to a room in the Baymont Inn.
According to the court papers, the mother had left the 12-year-old girl briefly alone in the hotel room with Pierce when she had gone outside to a car with some bags. The mother came back to find Pierce on top of the 12-year-old girl pulling off her clothes.
Pierce was said to have had a weapon on him or nearby when he allegedly committed the sexual assault, according to witnesses. The victim told police that he pinned her arms behind her on the bed and ripped off her tank top.
The victim’s mother cried out at Pierce when she saw him looming over her daughter, pulling out her own weapon and shooting. The shots injured Pierce, and the mother-daughter pair fled the hotel.
Pierce has been taken into the hospital and was in critical condition on May 24. There has been no further update on his condition.
According to the court documents, the 12-year-old victim was taken to Riley Hospital for evaluation after the incident.
Despite a initial misunderstanding of where Pierce was at the time, officials affirmed to FOX59/CBS4 that Pierce remains in the hospital. His warrant remains active.
