Broward man with pending felonies arrested after leading police on chase, driving vehicle into canal

A 30-year-old man with two pending felony cases was taken into custody in Broward County after refusing to stop for police on Monday night and driving his vehicle into a shallow canal. Darius Parrish of Fort Lauderdale evaded Lauderhill police officers who were conducting a search based on a description of a suspect wearing a blue Nike shirt and blue jeans, records indicate.

During the pursuit, Parrish drove off the roadway onto grass before entering the canal with his car partially submerged. He abandoned the vehicle near the intersection of Hiatus Road and Sunrise Boulevard in Plantation and fled on foot, prompting an expanded search involving Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopters and ground units.

Law enforcement officers with Plantation police and BSO deputies conducted a neighborhood search in the area near North University Drive and Cleary Boulevard. During his escape attempt, Parrish allegedly attempted to break into a residence, according to police reports.

Plantation police arrested Parrish and charged him with two counts of unarmed burglary of an occupied dwelling, third-degree grand theft of property valued between $40 and $750, and resisting arrest without violence. The arrest compounds his legal troubles: court records show he already faced two pending felony cases in Broward County with charges filed March 17 and March 26.

Oakland Park police had arrested Parrish on March 16 on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony. He was released on a $12,000 bond posted March 17. Circuit Judge Michael Rothschild is presiding over the case.