A man from California, who reportedly used a mask to impersonate a White individual during several robberies, faced charges on Monday for allegedly exploiting a dating app to entice men into encounters that ended in murder, disappearance, and severe assault, according to the Los Angeles prosecution team.
Rockim Prowell, aged 34 and residing in Inglewood, California, was accused of two murder counts accompanied by special allegations involving multiple murders, as revealed in a press announcement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Prowell is also charged with attempted murder, two counts of carjacking, two counts of second-degree burglary, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon, per the District Attorney’s office.
Prosecutors said the first victim, Miguel Angel King, 51, met with Prowell July 20, 2021, after the two men talked on an unnamed online dating app.
Investigators highlighted that Prowell’s latest offense occurred on February 22, when he allegedly coaxed a 40-year-old man, whom he connected with via the same dating platform, to a site just four miles from Prowell’s residence.
According to the DA’s office, Prowell purportedly tied up the man, robbed him, and attacked him with a baseball bat. Although the man managed to flee, Prowell pursued him by car, reportedly striking him and resulting in a broken leg.
“Consider the fright and panic these victims underwent, initially deceived into expecting a different meeting, only to confront unimaginable violence,” expressed Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman in a statement. “These were predatory actions with no regard for human life.”
The suspect allegedly used dating apps to meet his victims. (iStock)
Prowell is on probation in two separate cases for a series of burglaries he committed in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles areas between 2019 and 2021, according to the DA’s office.
A local report from affiliate FOX 11 indicates he may be connected to more than 30 masked burglaries across Southern California.
The mask, which authorities found in a vehicle Prowell was driving, appeared to resemble a young, White man’s face.
It is unclear if any masks were connected to the dating app incidents.
If convicted as charged, Prowell faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date.
The Beverly Hills Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
