A Los Angeles County jury has found Freddie Lee Trone, 42, guilty of murder in the 2022 death of rapper PnB Rock, who was gunned down while having lunch at Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles in South Los Angeles.
Trone was found guilty of murder as he tasked his 17-year-old son with the 2022 killing of the 30-year-old Philadelphia rapper, legally named Rakim Allen.
The teen walked into Roscoe’s on Manchester Avenue and demanded jewelry from the hip-hop star as he dined with his fiancé — he then shot him. Allen was taken to a hospital following the shooting, where he was later pronounced dead.
Prosecutors said the boy was acting on his father’s orders while the defense said Trone was only an accessory after the fact.
The now-19-year-old was charged with murder but is in the custody of the juvenile system and a judge has found that he is not currently competent to stand trial.
Just after the 2022 killing, the slain rapper’s girlfriend, Stephanie Sibounheuang said Allen saved her life, as he threw her under the table as shots were fired. Sibounheuang shares a toddler with the late artist.
Co-defendant Tremont Jones was found guilty Wednesday of two robbery counts and conspiracy to commit robbery related to the same 2022 incident involving the 30-year-old rapper. Jones was not charged with murder.
David Haas, Jones’ lawyer, said he plans to appeal, while Trone’s lawyer, Winston McKesson, said he plans to file a motion for a new trial.
Evidence presented at trial showed a surveillance image of Jones fist-bumping Allen, whose arm had noticeable pieces of jewelry on it. Prosecutors said Jones then tipped Trone off to the rapper’s presence, and his jewelry.
Trone denied having anything to do with the robbery and murder, even testifying that he wasn’t there the day it happened. The video showed Trone in the parking lot of the restaurant about 30 minutes before the shooting. Trone testified that he had reason to be there because he was hustling business for his nearby beauty shop.
PnB Rock was best known for his 2016 hit “Selfish” and for guest appearances on other artists’ songs such as YFN Lucci’s “Everyday We Lit” and Ed Sheeran’s “Cross Me” with Chance the Rapper.
This story was originally published on August 7 by KCAL News.
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