The suspect was on probation for a string of other crimes he allegedly committed while wearing a full latex mask and wig when he was arrested; the body of one victim hasn’t been found.
A Los Angeles man is behind bars, accused of killing two men he met on dating apps, before attempting to do the same to a third, who escaped.
Rockim Prowell, 34, of Inglewood was charged on Monday with two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. He also faces one count of attempted murder, two counts each of carjacking and second-degree burglary and one count of assault with a deadly weapon, according to a press release from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
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Per prosecutors, the victims are 51-year-old Miguel Angel King and 53-year-old Robert Gutierrez, both of whom the suspect allegedly met using a dating app.
Prowell allegedly met up with King on July 20, 2021, before prosecutors say the suspect fatally shot the victim and stole his car. King’s body was found on August 14, 2021 in the Angeles National Forest, while his vehicle was located several miles from Prowell’s home about a week after the meeting. Evidence recovered from the vehicle allegedly linked him to the murder, per the DA.
Gutierrez and Prowell met near Prowell’s home on August 21, 2023, according to the press release, after also talking on the same dating site. He was reported missing by family two days later; his body hasn’t been found. King’s vehicle, however, was allegedly found at Prowell’s home when he was arrested last week. Prosecutors say “additional evidence linked Prowell to the killing of Gutierrez.”
A third man was also allegedly attacked by Prowell in February of this year, after the 40-year-old victim also spoke with the suspect on the same app. After meeting about four miles from Prowell’s home, prosecutors say Prowell “bound the victim, stole his wallet and beat him with a baseball bat,” before the victim “managed to escape.”
“Prowell chased the man in a vehicle, striking him and breaking his leg,” added the DA in a statement.
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At the time of his arrest, Prowell was on probation following a burglary spree in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles between 2019 and 2021. When he was arrested in 2021, authorities linked him to more than 30 burglaries — which he committed while wearing a latex mask of a different skin tone, with hair attached. All the photos above are from that 2021 arrest.
“Imagine the terror and horror these victims felt after being duped into believing they were meeting for one reason, only to face inexplicable violence,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement Monday. “These were predatory acts that showed a total disregard of life. This suspect has now been stopped in his tracks because of the diligent and tenacious work done by investigators at both the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”
The statement noted that, if convicted as charged, Prowell faces death or life in prison without parole.
Per jail records, he’s being held without jail, with a court appearance set for October 16.
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