LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors have filed murder charges against three people — including a 17-year-old — in the brazen daytime robbery and killing of Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock at a South Los Angeles restaurant earlier this month, authorities said.
Freddie Lee Trone, 40, was charged with murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, while 38-year-old Shauntel Trone was charged with robbery and being an accessory after the fact. A 17-year-old, who was not identified because of his age, was also charged with murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, prosecutors said.
Shauntel Trone and the teenager were arrested Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, and Freddie Lee Trone remains at large. While officials have not commented on the relationship between the suspects, a law enforcement source previously told the Los Angeles Times that the teen is Freddie Lee Trone’s son.
The 30-year-old recording artist, whose real name was Rakim Allen, had been at the Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles location on Manchester Avenue with his girlfriend, Stephanie Sibounheuang, on Sept. 12 when the assailants walked up to their table and demanded jewelry and other valuables. One suspect was brandishing a firearm, according to police, and Rock was shot almost immediately.
While some expressed concern that Rock may have been targeted after his girlfriend posted a picture to Instagram showing that they were at the chicken restaurant, law enforcement sources have told the Times that Freddie Lee Trone and his son were at the Roscoe’s parking lot before any social media posts related to the rapper’s presence there were published. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation with the media.
Shauntel Trone was scheduled to be arraigned in the Compton Courthouse later Thursday. The teen appeared in juvenile court, and it was not immediately clear if prosecutors will seek to try him as an adult.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón barred his prosecutors from trying juveniles as adults when he took office, but created a path to exceptions to that policy earlier this year.
Rock’s ability to blend melodies with his rapping made him a natural fit for modern day hip-hop. He gained national prominence with the 2015 single “Fleek,” turning the viral Vine video into an anthem for women across the country. He went on to collaborate with a bevy of artists, including Ed Sheeran and Chance the Rapper on “Cross Me.”
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(Times staff writer Kenan Draughorne contributed to this report.)
