A 36-year-old man is being held without bail in the Broward County Main Jail after Hallandale Beach police say he broke into a home through a rear window, rummaged through a bedroom, and pointed a gun at two children before fleeing into the night. Rashad Randzell Corouthers was booked on felony charges including home invasion with a firearm and aggravated assault, according to Broward County jail records.
Police say the intruder entered the residence through a rear window on the night of Sunday, August 23, before confronting the two children inside, who were 10 and 12 years old, according to police reports relayed by Ground News. Police said the man rummaged through a bedroom inside the home and pointed a gun at the children before the family encountered him and he ran off. Video footage obtained by Local 10 News shows the suspect fleeing the home, and the family has since returned to the residence.
Investigators used GPS location tracking data to trace the suspect's movements after he fled the scene, and the same account notes that officers took him into custody two days later, on Tuesday. Corouthers now faces booking charges of home invasion with a firearm or deadly weapon, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, and possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted Florida felon. His bail was set at $0.00, according to jail records.
What Corouthers Could Face in Court
Home invasion robbery committed while armed with a firearm is a first-degree felony in Florida punishable by up to life imprisonment, and it carries a mandatory minimum sentence under the state's 10/20/Life law, according to the Florida Legislature. Separately, possessing a firearm or ammunition as a convicted felon is a second-degree felony carrying up to 15 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine under state law.
Each aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison, with a three-year minimum mandatory sentence attached when the offense involves a firearm. Since police say Corouthers pointed the gun at both children, prosecutors could pursue the two counts as distinct offenses tied to each young victim.
A City Already on Edge Over Gun Violence
The arrest lands in a city that has seen its share of frightening gun incidents involving children this year. In June, NBC 6 reported that Hallandale Beach police responded to an ambush shooting outside a local McDonald's that left a father and his 11-year-old daughter hospitalized after they were caught in the crossfire.
It also comes just weeks after Hoodline reported that Broward County authorities arrested a former Marine recruiter tied to a burglary spree in Hallandale Beach on August 5, facing 155 felony counts in a case that set bond at $1.29 million. The City of Hallandale Beach Police Department, which operates a Public Information Office covering southern Broward County, is leading the investigation into the latest home invasion.
It remains unclear whether Corouthers has retained an attorney, what items, if any, were taken from the bedroom he allegedly searched, or when he will next appear before a Broward County magistrate. Police have not released additional details on those open questions as the investigation continues.
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