Parent Found Guilty of Instructing 17-Year-Old Son to Murder and Rob Rapper PnB Rock
Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty; Los Angeles Police Department
A California father has been convicted for the 2022 murder of rapper PnB Rock, following instructions he gave his then 17-year-old son to rob and kill the artist while he was having lunch with his girlfriend. PnB Rock, whose real name was Rakim Allen, was 30 years old at the time of his death.
After a two-week trial and four hours of deliberation, a jury in Los Angeles County found Freddie Trone, 42, guilty of one count of murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the Associated Press.
Prosecutors argued that Trone sent his teenage son into Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in South Los Angeles to carry out the crime and later acted as an accessory. Trone’s son has not been named publicly due to his age at the time of the murder.
Surveillance footage showed Trone in the parking lot a half-hour before Allen was murdered. Tremont Jones, who was also present and seen giving Allen a fist bump, reportedly informed Trone about the rapper’s presence and the expensive jewelry he was wearing. Jones was convicted of two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy for his involvement in Allen’s death. His attorney, David Haas, stated that he would appeal the conviction.
While testifying, Trone admitted to being in the parking lot to find customers for his nearby beauty shop but denied any involvement in the killing. He described the murder as “heinous” and referred to his son as “dangerous.”
Trone’s son, now 19, has been charged with murder but remains in a juvenile detention center. A judge has determined that he is not competent to stand trial. The L.A. District Attorney’s Office noted that a minor will undergo “mental competency proceedings” on August 28, told the Associated Press.
On September 12, 2022, Allen was having lunch with his girlfriend Stephanie Sibounheuang, with whom he shares a now 4-year-old daughter when they were approached by an individual who demanded Allen’s jewelry before shooting him multiple times and stealing some of his belongings.
Freddie Trone, his wife Shauntel Trone, and their son were charged approximately two weeks later after fleeing to Las Vegas. Shauntel Trone’s role in the robbery and murder remains unclear, but she pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact in July and will be sentenced on January 16, 2025. Freddie Trone and Tremont Jones are scheduled to be sentenced on August 27.
“Today, justice has been served for Mr. Allen and his family who have endured unimaginable pain losing a loved one to such senseless violence,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said. “We extend our deepest sympathies to them and the entire community. Thank you to my office’s Community Violence Reduction Division for their unwavering commitment to seek justice for Mr. Allen and hold Mr. Trone and Mr. Jones accountable for their actions. Let this serve as a clear message to anyone who threatens the safety and well-being of our community: our office will relentlessly pursue charges and work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.”
