A California man has been accused of killing two men he met on a dating app and attempting to kill a third in what prosecutors described as “inexplicable” and “predatory” acts of violence.
Rockim Prowell was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Miguel Angel King and Robert Gutierrez, both of whom he met through an unidentified dating site, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement Monday. He’s also facing a count of attempted murder, two counts each of carjacking and second-degree burglary and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.
His arrest came after authorities were able to link a pair of vehicles stolen from each of the murder victims to Prowell, according to prosecutors. They also described the 34-year-old suspect as a serial burglar.
“Imagine the terror and horror these victims felt after being duped into believing they were meeting for one reason, only to face inexplicable violence,” Hochman said.
“These were predatory acts that showed a total disregard of life,” he continued. “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.”
King met with Prowell in person on July 20, 2021, after connecting through the dating app. Police said Prowell fatally shot King and then stole his car.
The victim’s remains were found about a month later in Angeles National Forest and “forensic evidence recovered from the vehicle linked Prowell to the slaying,” according to the district attorney’s office.
Gutierrez, meanwhile, vanished after meeting up with Prowell on Aug. 21, 2023. He remains missing, but prosecutors said authorities eventually located the victim’s vehicle in Prowell’s garage.
Prowell is also accused of attacking a third, unidentified man he met on the dating website on Feb. 22.
“Prowell allegedly bound the victim, stole his wallet and beat him with a baseball bat,” the district attorney’s office said. “The victim managed to escape but Prowell chased the man in a vehicle, striking him and breaking his leg.”
The prosecutor’s office further noted that Prowell, at the time of his arrest, had been on probation for a series of burglaries in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles in 2019 and 2021.
