Black burglar used prosthetics to disguise himself as white to carry out crimes, police say
Suspect may be responsible for numerous residential burglaries within the Southern California area, authorities allege
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Your support makes all the difference.A man in Beverly Hills has been arrested after police say he wore a prosthetic mask to disguise himself while allegedly carrying out burglaries across Los Angeles.
Rockim Prowell, 30, of Inglewood, California, has been charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of grand theft, Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) said in a release.
Authorities said they arrested Mr Prowell following a report of a residential burglary in the city in April, which they connected to another burglary that took place on 20 July, 2020. Mr Prowell is Black but the prosthetic mask seen being worn by the suspect in video pictures is that of a white man.
Police said they conducted a traffic stop on the car Mr Prowell was driving on 2 May and discovered a “face mask” and “other items” that allegedly connected him to the crimes.
BHPD claimed that a search of the 30-year-old’s home revealed other items allegedly connected him to other burglaries and that the licence plates on the car he was driving were determined to be stolen.
They said they tied the suspect and his car to the burglaries through surveillance video and that flat-screen televisions were stolen during the two burglaries.
Alongside booking photos of Mr Prowell, police released photographs of a man apparently wearing a sophisticated prosthetic mask with a white face and brown hair that he allegedly used to hide his face.
Police said they believe that he is “responsible for numerous residential burglaries within the Southern California area.”
Fox Los Angeles reported that Mr Prowell has been connected to over 30 burglaries in the area. The Independent has contacted BHPD and to the LAPD for comment.
Beverly Hills Police Detectives are said to be working with investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Newport Beach Police Department on the case.
BHPD urged anyone with information regarding the case to call authorities at 310-285-2125.
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