Almost two years after PnB Rock was shot and killed in Los Angeles, the trial for one of the men charged with murder in connection with his death is nearing its conclusion.
The 30-year-old Philadelphia rapper, whose real name is Rakim Hasheem Allen, was shot multiple times while being robbed of his jewelry in South Los Angeles in September 2022. He was eating with his fiancée, Stephanie Sibounheuang, at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles at the time he was attacked.
According to prosecutors, his assailant stole necklaces, rings, and wristwatches from Allen, and took a luxury Audemars Piguet watch, worth more than $60,000, from Sibounheuang.
A 17-year-old has been charged with his death. Because he is being charged as a juvenile, law enforcement has declined to release his name. A temporary judge overseeing his case ruled last month that he was not competent to stand trial.
But two other men, Freddie Trone and Tremont Jones, have been charged with helping the teen kill Allen.
Trone, 42, is the shooter’s father, and prosecutors allege that he drove his son to the scene and sent him into the restaurant with instructions to rob Allen, even though he knew his son was “impulsive” and “dangerous,” according to Deputy District Attorney Timothy Richardson. Prosecutors allege Jones alerted Trone and his son to Allen’s whereabouts shortly before the shooting.
Here’s what you need to know about the trial, where closing arguments began on Monday.
What are Trone and Jones charged with?
Even though he did not pull the trigger, Trone has been charged with murder, as well as robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.
According to the Associated Press, Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy.
First, prosecutors say, Jones tipped Trone off to Allen’s whereabouts. Trone then drove his son to the restaurant and sent him inside, dressed in a ski mask and with instructions to rob the rapper.
Police say that hours after the murder, surveillance footage shows Jones attempting to burn Trone’s getaway car.
Still, Trone has maintained his innocence, and his lawyers have argued that he should not be held responsible for the murder.
“My client, Freddie Trone, did not pull the trigger. He was not inside the restaurant at the time. This charge of murder is the most serious charge. We have to have evidence to support it,” defense attorney Winston McKesson said during the trial’s opening statements.
Trone’s wife and another woman both pleaded no contest to being accessories to the crime.
What has happened so far in the trial?
Alongside police testimony, prosecutors showed surveillance footage of Trone and Jones talking in the restaurant parking lot minutes before the shooting.
In a particularly emotional moment, Allen’s fiancée recounted how, during the robbery, Allen pushed her under the table and shielded her when the gunman started shooting.
“He’s a hero,” Sibounheuang said.
Then, in an unusual twist, Trone took the stand. During his testimony, he acknowledged that his son was “dangerous” but steadfastly maintained his innocence.
He said that someone used his car to drop his son off at the restaurant before the shooting — not him.
“I never had nothing to do with it. I wasn’t there. I didn’t tell nobody to do nothing. I didn’t hand nobody no gun,” he said.
How is Allen’s family reacting to the trial?
Allen’s mother, Deannea, said she is praying for justice.
“I want the jury to know he has a family who loves him and wants to support him,” she told Rolling Stone on Monday.
Closing arguments were expected to continue through Tuesday, and a verdict could come as soon as this week.
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