An Inglewood man faces a possible sentence of life in prison — or even the death penalty — if he’s convicted of murdering two men and trying to kill another he met on an online dating app, allegations detailed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday.
Rockim Prowell, 34, was charged with:
- Two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders
- One count of attempted murder
- Two counts of carjacking and
- Two counts of second-degree burglary
- One count of assault with a deadly weapon
In each of these cases, the motive appears to have been financial.
The two men who were killed, 51-year-old Miguel Angel King in 2021 and 53-year-old Robert Gutierrez in 2023, had their cars stolen, prosecutors said.
King’s vehicle was found a week after his fatal shooting at a location only a few miles from Prowell’s home, while Gutierrez’s vehicle was found in Prowell’s garage when he was arrested earlier this month, officials added.
Evidence in King’s vehicle and at Gutierrez’s home allegedly tied Prowell to the killings.
For the third victim, a 40-year-old man, Prowell allegedly targeted his wallet, tying him up and beating him with a baseball bat. Prowell also broke the man’s leg when he hit him with a vehicle during the victim’s escape attempt, officials said.
“Imagine the terror and horror these victims felt after being duped into believing they were meeting for one reason, only to face inexplicable violence,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “These were predatory acts that showed a total disregard of life.”
Prowell is expected to be arraigned on Monday and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail.
He’s also on probation for two different cases involving a series of burglaries in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles between 2019 and 2021.
If convicted, Prowell could be sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole or could receive the death penalty, though prosecutors said that “decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made a later date.”
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