Suspect in killing of rapper PnB Rock is extradited to L.A. to face murder charge
A man wanted in connection with the slaying of rapper PnB Rock, who was gunned down last month at Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles in South L.A., has been extradited to Los Angeles after his initial arrest in Las Vegas.
Freddie Lee Trone, 40, was booked into L.A. County jail at 3:16 p.m. Tuesday on suspicion of murder, records show. He is being held on bail of $3 million. An arraignment date was not available Tuesday night.
Trone was arrested Sept. 29 in Las Vegas, according to Officer Tony Im, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson.
The extradition comes three weeks after Shauntel Trone, 38, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested in L.A. County in connection with Rock’s killing.
Freddie Lee Trone and the teenager, who was not identified because of his age, have been charged with murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Shauntel Trone is charged with robbery and being an accessory after the fact.
A teenager and two adults have been charged with murder, robbery and other offenses in the killing of rapper PnB Rock at Roscoe’s in South L.A.
Freddie Lee and Shauntel Trone are married, said Greg Risling, a spokesman for the L.A. County district attorney’s office, after her arrest.
The teenager is Freddie Lee Trone’s son, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation with the media. The teen and Shauntel Trone are not related, Risling said.
Rock, 30, whose real name was Rakim Allen, had been at the Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles 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. The jewelry was valued at “several hundreds of thousands of dollars,” according to the criminal complaint.
While some expressed concern that Rock may have been targeted after his girlfriend posted a picture to Instagram showing that they were at the 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 were published.
As crime rises, security experts, as well as some famous rappers, warn artists against displaying their wealth in public and oversharing on social media.
The teen approached Rock with a mask on, pointed a gun at him and shouted, “Give me all of your jewelry now,” according to the complaint. Prosecutors allege he shot the rapper once in the chest while he sat a table, then twice more in the back.
Seconds later, the teen allegedly threatened to shoot Sibounheuang in the head and took several pieces of jewelry off Rock’s body.
The killing sparked outrage among fans, as well as community activists, who say violence at a popular eatery is unacceptable.
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