Masked suspect accused of using ‘odd’ disguise for L.A. burglaries

Beverly Hills Police have charged a man suspected of pulling off at least 30 burglaries while wearing an “odd” disguise that made him look like a mop-haired white man on security cameras.

Rockim Prowell, 30, of Inglewood, was arrested during a traffic stop in the Los Angeles area on May 2, after police noticed that his licence plates were stolen and there was a disguise stashed inside his car. Authorities also found several other items that linked the man to a string of burglaries in the area, they said in a news release.

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The Los Angeles Police Department later tied the suspect to footage from several break-ins over the last year, based on the appearance of his disguise.

“It was odd this burglar’s mouth was always open when seen on surveillance video,” LAPD Pacific tweeted last week, according to NBC Los Angeles. “When he was caught … we discovered why.”

Officers searched the suspect’s home on a warrant and found more evidence linking him to additional burglaries, the BHPD said. They’ve since appealed to the public for help with the investigation, as he is believed to be responsible for “numerous residential burglaries within the Southern California area.”

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Prowell was arrested last week and charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of grand theft, and one count of vandalism in connection with incidents in April of this year and June of 2020. Flatscreen TVs were stolen in both cases, police said.

The suspect was later released on bond, court records show. He is due back in court on May 25.