A California man who was charged on Monday for allegedly using a dating app to meet and murder men is previously accused of wearing a mask to appear white in dozens of robberies.
Rockim Prowell, 34, of Inglewood, California, has been charged with two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Prowell is also facing a charge for one count of attempted murder, two counts of carjacking, two counts of second-degree burglary, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.
According to the D.A.’s office, 51-year-old Miguel Angel King met up with Prowell on July 20, 2021, after they connected on an online dating app. Prowell allegedly shot and killed King and stole his car, which was found more than a week later several miles from Prowell’s home.
Forensic evidence was able to link Prowell to the killing, and King’s remains were discovered at Angeles National Forest on August 14, 2021, officials said.
Then on August 21, 2023, 53-year-old Robert Gutierrez met up with Prowell nearly a mile from Prowell’s home after meeting on the same online dating app. The D.A.’s office did not disclose what dating app was used.
Gutierrez’s family reported him missing two days later, and his body has still not been found. However, investigators found Gutierrez’s car in Prowell’s garage when they arrested him last week. Officials said additional evidence links Prowell to the killing of Gutierrez.
On February 22 of this year, Prowell connected with a 40-year-old man on the same dating app approximately four miles from Prowell’s residence.
Prowell is accused of tying up the man, stealing his wallet, and beating him with a baseball bat. The man was able to escape, but Prowell allegedly chased him in a car and struck him, breaking his leg.
Prowell is currently on probation in two separate cases for burglaries he committed in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles between 2019 and 2021, the D.A.’s office said.
The D.A.’s office “offered him a plea deal that placed him on probation,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
More from the Los Angeles Times:
At the time of King’s death, Prowell was awaiting trial on multiple counts of burglary and theft. He was arrested in May 2021, court records show, and allegedly killed King two months before the district attorney’s office offered him a plea deal that placed him on probation. A spokesman for the district attorney’s office declined to comment on the prior plea agreement or identify the dating app used in each attack.
According to local news reports, Prowell is connected with more than 30 masked burglaries.
“The mask, which authorities found in a vehicle Prowell was driving, appeared to resemble a young, white man’s face,” Fox News reported. “It is unclear if any masks were connected to the dating app incidents.”
Prowell faces death or life in state prison without possibility of parole if he is convicted as charged, the D.A.’s office said, adding that a decision about whether to pursue the death penalty will be made at a later date.
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