California Black Man Used 'White-Man' Mask to Evade Arrest in Home Burglaries

Police have arrested a Black man who used a life-like "white man" mask as a disguise while he allegedly committed burglaries in California between April and July last year.

A Beverly Hills cop reportedly saw a face mask and other items in the suspect's car, linked to a number of home break-ins during a May 2 traffic stop. The license plates attached to suspect Rockim Prowell's car were also determined to be stolen, Crime Online reported.

Cops searched Prowell's home in Inglewood at Los Angeles, California after a search warrant was issued. Police found multiple items that were stolen from other residences.

Police said that surveillance filmed Rockim Prowell and his car at the site of two robberies in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles on April 20 and on June 20. A flatscreen television was stolen during both burglaries.

'White-Man' Mask Used as a Disguise

Authorities said that Rockim Prowell allegedly used a white-man mask complete with fake hair and glasses to disguise himself as he committed the burglaries in Los Angeles.

They also noted that the suspect's mouth was always open in the home security footage they reviewed.

LAPD Pacific wrote on its Twitter account, which has since been deleted that it was odd that the burglar's mouth was always open when seen on video footage. And they assumed it's because he was wearing a mask, Daily Mail reported.

The 30-year-old suspect allegedly wore the disguise to commit about 30 home burglaries in the Southern California area.

Police had arrested and charged Rockim Prowell with two counts of burglary, two counts of grand theft, and one count of vandalism. He is currently out on bail. However, Prowell could reportedly face more charges.

One social media user compared the situation to a Scooby-Doo episode and asked someone to make a face reveal meme.

LAPD Pacific Division further noted that Prowell was connected to seven more burglaries in their division. According to Fox News, Prowell is scheduled to appear in court on May 25.

Mask-Wearing Crimes

Years ago in Ohio, a white bank robber used a "hyper-realistic" mask manufactured by a small Van Nuys company to disguise himself as a black man, which led to the wrongful arrest of an African American man for the crimes.

A Chinese man who wanted to seek asylum in Canada also used a mask from the same company to look like an elderly white man and had managed to slip past airport security in Hong Kong, according to a 2010 Los Angeles Times report.

In addition, a Southern California bank robber was also believed to wear a mask of an older man. Authorities said the robber might actually be a younger guy wearing one of the said masks.

SPFXMasks owner Rusty Slusser said he is not happy about it despite the increasing demand for the masks. SPFXMasks was first opened in 2003, with the first six-person crew using silicone that looks and feels like flesh.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Darrel Foxworth noted that the use of realistic masks to commit crimes shows that criminals are adapting to changing times.

Foxworth said law enforcement officials have to stay one step ahead of them, which could be challenging for them.

WATCH: Beverly Hills PD Arrests Suspected Masked Bandit Linked To Several Burglaries - From CBS Los Angeles