A California man has been charged with killing two men and attempting to kill a third after meeting all three victims through an online dating app, Los Angeles County prosecutors announced.
Rockim Prowell, 34, is facing multiple charges, including two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Prowell was arrested last week and arraigned on Monday.
First alleged victim killed in 2021
Prosecutors say the first killing occurred on July 20, 2021, when Miguel Angel King, 51, met up with Prowell after the two men connected on an online dating app. Authorities say Prowell fatally shot King and stole his car.
FILE – (L) Robert Gutierrez (LAPD), (R) Miguel Angel King (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)
King’s vehicle was found more than a week later, several miles from Prowell’s home. Forensic evidence recovered from the vehicle linked Prowell to the killing, prosecutors said.
King’s remains were found on Aug. 14, 2021, in the Angeles National Forest.
Second alleged victim reported missing in 2023
On Aug. 21, 2023, Robert Gutierrez, 53, and Prowell agreed to meet at a location about a mile from Prowell’s home after interacting on the same online dating site, according to prosecutors.
Two days later, Gutierrez’s family reported him missing. His body has still not been located. When investigators arrested Prowell, they found Gutierrez’s car in the defendant’s garage. Additional evidence linked Prowell to Gutierrez’s killing, authorities said.
Third alleged victim survived attack
The most recent incident occurred on Feb. 22, 2025, when a 40-year-old man and Prowell connected on the same online dating app and met about four miles from where Prowell lived.
Prosecutors say Prowell bound the victim, stole his wallet and beat him with a baseball bat. The victim managed to escape, but Prowell chased the man in a vehicle, striking him and breaking his leg.
Prowell is currently 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.
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