A mother shot a convicted sex offender she caught trying to rape her 12-year-old daughter, according to court documents.
The mother had taken her daughter to a Baymont Inn in Indianapolis to meet with Bruce Pierce, on May 24, according to court documents obtained by Fox59 and WTHR. It is not yet known why the mom took the child to the meeting with Pierce.
Mother Returned to the Hotel to Find Pierce on Top of His Daughter, Ripping Her Clothes Off
While at the hotel, the mom left her daughter with Pierce in a hotel room, while she took some bags outside, according to the report. When the mom returned, she found Pierce on top of her daughter, ripping her clothes off.
She later told police that she heard her daughter saying, "No, no, no," according to the reports. The mother told authorities that's when she pulled the trigger. The mother and her daughter then fled the scene and later called the police. Pierce, 39, was critically injured in the shooting.
Pierce Had Been Speaking to the Girl Online and on the Phone, Had Been Trying to Get Her to Run Away
The child told police that Pierce had pinned her arms to the hotel bed and tore off her tank top and underwear, according to the report. Pierce was also in possession of a gun during the incident, according to the mother and daughter.
The grandmother, who had also come to the hotel to try and find the mom and daughter after they left home, also told police that Pierce had been speaking with the girl previously online and on the telephone and tried to get her to run away, according to the report. While a warrant has been issued for his arrest, officials confirmed that he remains hospitalized.
Pierce Considered a 'Sexually Violent Predator,' Convicted of Previously Raping a Victim Under 14 Years Old
An online court case summary filed Wednesday by the State of Indiana shows Pierce is facing multiple charges, including attempted rape, attempted child molestation, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, and confinement of a victim under 14 years old.
Pierce is listed on the Marion County Sheriff's Office sex offender registry. Online records show he was registered in 2019 and is considered the level of "sexually violent predator."
