Man guilty of sending son to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock, jury finds

COMPTON, Calif. (AP) — A Los Angeles County jury on Wednesday discovered a person responsible of sending his 17-year-old son to kill rapper PnB Rock.

After deliberating for about 4 hours, jurors convicted Freddie Trone, 42, of 1 rely of homicide, two counts of theft and one rely of conspiracy to commit theft.

Either side on the two-week trial agreed that the teenager walked into Roscoe’s Rooster and Waffles in South Los Angeles in September of 2022 and shot the Philadelphia hip-hop star whereas robbing him of his jewellery as he ate with the mom of his 4-year-old daughter.

The prosecution stated he was performing on his father’s orders whereas the protection stated Trone was solely an adjunct after the actual fact.

The now-19-year-old was charged with homicide however is within the custody of the juvenile system and a decide has discovered that he’s not presently competent to face trial.

The Related Press doesn’t sometimes title minors who’re accused of crimes.

One other man, Tremont Jones, was discovered responsible Wednesday of two counts of theft and one rely of conspiracy. Jones was not charged with homicide.

David Haas, Jones’ lawyer, stated he plans to enchantment.

PnB Rock, the Philadelphia rapper whose authorized title is Rakim Allen, was finest recognized for his 2016 hit “Egocentric” and for visitor appearances on different artists’ songs corresponding to YFN Lucci’s “On a regular basis We Lit” and Ed Sheeran’s “Cross Me” with Probability the Rapper. He was 30.

The protection made the uncommon and dangerous transfer of placing Trone on the stand, the place he vehemently denied any half in prompting the killing.

“I by no means had nothing to do with it,” Trone testified Monday. “I wasn’t there. I didn’t inform no one to do nothing. I didn’t hand no one no gun.”

Trone acknowledged on the stand that the crimes had been “heinous” and that his son was “harmful.”

Deputy District Legal professional Timothy Richardson seized on each throughout his closing argument, saying, “However you ship your 17-year-old son with information of the issues he possesses to do that?”

Richardson emphasised to jurors {that a} non-shooter could be responsible of felony homicide when they’re a “main participant” who acted with “reckless indifference to human life.”

Video confirmed Trone within the car parking zone of the restaurant about half-hour earlier than the killing. Trone testified that he had purpose to be there as a result of he was drumming up enterprise for his close by magnificence store.

Richardson confirmed a surveillance picture of Jones fist-bumping Allen, whose arm had worthwhile items of knickknack on it. Prosecutors stated Jones then tipped Trone off to the rapper’s presence, and his jewellery.