Saviay'a Robinson, rapper Quando Rondo's cousin, killed in L.A. one week before Savannah trial
This is a developing story.
A close friend and distant cousin of Savannah native and rapper Quando Rondo was murdered in Los Angeles on Aug. 19, less than one week before he was scheduled to go on trial in a Chatham County Superior Court on charges under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
According to Fox 11 News, Tyquian Bowman, a.k.a. Quando Rondo, 23, and his cousin Saviay'a Robinson, 24, were riding in his black Cadillac Escalade near a gas station in West Hollywood when Robinson was shot. Robinson was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Bowman was not injured.
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'Bandup Pablo' had been charged in connection with crime spree
Robinson, a.k.a. "Bandup Pablo" or "Pab," and 10 other defendants were charged in Jan. 2019 by then-Chatham County District Attorney Meg Heap under state RICO laws. They were accused of going on a nine month-long crime spree that included theft, burglary, entering automobiles, fraudulent financial transactions and car theft, among other charges.
As to why they were using a RICO instead of a gang indictment, Savannah Police Sergeant Jonathan Puhala, the supervisor of the department’s gang unit and an expert on the local Blood affiliate, said at the time of the indictment, "They weren’t necessarily gang members, but in the beginning of the investigation we didn’t know that. We went where the investigation led us and that led us to a RICO indictment as opposed to gang indictment."
The indictment specifically goes into detail about Robinson and two other accomplices stealing 10 cars worth more than $100,000 from the Chatham Parkway Collision Center between Aug. 19 and Aug. 20, 2017.
In addition to the RICO case, Robinson was being charged in two other local cases. The charges for those two cases included fleeing from police, second-degree burglary, theft by taking, and second-degree cruelty to children.
Robinson’s next trial — a trial docket call — for all three cases was scheduled to take place on Aug. 26, one week after his shooting death.
According to a court transcript, Robinson planned on pleading guilty to the charge of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer after he led SPD officers on a high-speed chase from Georgia to South Carolina.
Before he was killed, Robinson had been out of jail on bond for the past two years. During that period, he owned a trucking business, A&S Express Carriers, and a French bulldog kennel business, Supreme Exotic Frenchies.
Rapper's songs commonly referenced guns violence
Bowman regularly referenced Robinson in his songs. In the 2018 song "ABG," Bowman sang, "Through the cut, with Pab', we gon' bang on 'em, Leaky in the backseat with that chopper, we gon' swang on 'em."
In November 2020, Bowman’s close friend, Timothy Leeks, also known as "Leaky" or "Lul Tim," shot and killed Chicago rapper King Von outside an Atlanta hookah bar.
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In early May 2021, Bowman and his associates were shot at a convenience store in Blackshear, Georgia. The shooting took place the morning after Bowman performed a concert. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation still is investigating the case.
With Robinson dead, the Chatham County DA is no longer prosecuting the cases against him, according to a court filing. A plea hearing for the other defendants in the RICO case is scheduled for Sept. 30.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah rapper Quando Rondo's cousin murdered in Los Angeles