Teen boy and stepmother arrested, father sought in slaying of rapper PnB Rock at South LA restaurant
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 17-year-old boy and his stepmother have been arrested in connection with the murder of rapper PnB Rock, who was fatally shot earlier this month at a Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles restaurant in South Los Angeles, Eyewitness News has learned.
A man who is the third suspect in the killing remains at large, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, which publicly released his name on Wednesday and described him as "armed and dangerous." A source told Eyewitness News that the adult male suspect, Freddie Lee Trone, is the father of teen in custody.
The 17-year-old, who was arrested in the South Bay neighborhood of Lawndale, was booked on suspicion of murder, the LAPD said in a statement.
The teenager's stepmother was identified by police as 32-year-old Shauntel Trone. She was taken into custody in Gardena and booked on suspicion of being an accessory to murder.
PnB Rock, born Rakim Hasheem Allen, was shot and killed at the restaurant on Sept. 12.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a suspect entered the restaurant and approached the rapper as he was having lunch with his girlfriend - who had already posted a picture of their food and their location on Instagram.
Investigators say the gunman shot him and stole some of his property, and also demanded property from the rapper's girlfriend, before taking off in a getaway car.
The victim was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.
Anyone with information about Trone's whereabouts is urged to call LAPD homicide detectives at (323) 786-5146.
The 30-year-old PnB Rock was known for singles that include "Fleek" and "Selfish."
Originally from Philadelphia, he was most recently based in Los Angeles. He had 2.5 million followers on Instagram.
After his death, fans gathered near the restaurant to mourn the popular musician.
"His music was excellent," said fan Sheldon Thompson. "He didn't rap about the wrong things. He rapped about the right things. And he had a bright future ahead of him. Just to hear he didn't survive is heartbreaking."
Some fans also suggested he may have been deliberately targeted after his location was posted on social media. Detectives are investigating if that is the case.
"If you're famous you know not to post your location anywhere," said fan Aremesha Rivers. "I really feel like there's a lot of setups going on."
The case against those arrested will be presented to the L.A. County district attorney's office for filing consideration no later than Thursday, the LAPD said.
