The South Bend Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a 37-year-old man charged in a child molesting case that occurred in May.
Brandon Pryor is wanted on two counts of Child Molesting and is considered armed and dangerous.
According to police, the incident began one morning in May when a teenage girl missed her school bus and decided to walk to school. While on the 200 block of N. Olive Street, a black SUV pulled up alongside her.
The driver, a man she did not know, allegedly encouraged her to get into the vehicle. The victim reported to a School Resource Officer that she saw a car seat in the back of the SUV, which gave her a false sense of security. After getting in the vehicle and asking for a ride to school, the driver took her to a location near an abandoned house where he sexually assaulted her. The assailant then dropped her off near her school.
An investigation conducted by the South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Special Victims Unit led to the identification of Brandon Pryor as the suspect. In late June, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office filed two charges of Child Molesting against him.
Initially, the arrest warrant for Pryor was sealed to aid law enforcement in their efforts to apprehend him. However, as Pryor has not yet been located, the warrant has been unsealed to allow for public notification.
Pryor is described as 6’1” tall, weighing 205 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Authorities have noted that he has been known to operate several different vehicles. At the time of the alleged assault in May, he was identified as driving a black Chevrolet Tahoe. More recently, he has been seen in a dark-colored BMW SUV with an unknown license plate.
Law enforcement officials believe Pryor may be in the Chicago area, though he also has ties to South Bend and Indianapolis.
The South Bend Police Department urges anyone who sees Brandon Pryor not to approach him, but to immediately call 9-1-1. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is encouraged to share it anonymously through Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP or online at p3tips.com/203. Crime Stoppers does not use caller ID or track IP addresses.
