TAMARAC, Fla. — A 52-year-old man was arrested after Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies said he allegedly pointed a gun at his son and fired a shot during a heated altercation earlier this week in Tamarac.
According to an arrest report, Rodencia Thomas Jr. went to his son’s home on Wednesday to collect $240 that his son owed him after Thomas bailed him out of jail the previous week.
The son told deputies he could only pay $120 at the time and planned to pay the remaining $120 at the end of the month, the report states.
Deputies said the two got into an argument that turned physical at the doorway of the home.
They said the son told deputies that Thomas poked him in the eye before he struck Thomas in the face. The two then fell inside the home during a tussle, where the son said Thomas used his forearm to choke him, the report states.
Deputies said Thomas’ girlfriend told deputies she entered the home after hearing the argument and saw the two men fighting. She said she was able to separate them.
The report states that Thomas then walked toward his girlfriend’s black pickup truck and allegedly pulled a handgun from inside the vehicle and turned to run back into the home, according to the report.
The son said he fell in the grass while trying to escape but made it to the doorway. He told deputies that Thomas raised the gun, pointed it toward him and fired one round but the shot missed, according to investigators.
Deputies said they found what appeared to be a bullet hole in the lower right portion of the exterior wall near the doorway where the victim had been standing.
They said the victim’s girlfriend also provided deputies with a statement. She said she knew Thomas kept a gun in the center console of her truck and followed him toward the vehicle, repeatedly telling him not to do anything “stupid” as she tried to de-escalate the situation, the report states.
The suspect’s girlfriend told deputies that she saw Thomas retrieve the gun, point it toward his son and fire one round, deputies said.
They said the victim had scratches around his throat and the back of his neck, as well as a large scratch on his back. Deputies also documented damage inside the home, including a hole in a wall near the floor where the two men had fallen.
The victim told deputies he believed Thomas intended to kill him but said he did not want to pursue criminal charges against his father, according to the report.
Deputies said there was probable cause to arrest Thomas on suspicion of attempted felony murder. The report states Thomas had an opportunity to leave after the physical altercation but allegedly returned with a gun and fired at his son.
They said a records check showed Thomas had three active warrants related to child support.
Jail records show he is facing charges of domestic battery by strangulation and attempted felony murder, along with three writs of arrest.
As of Saturday morning, he was being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail.
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