A TikTok star has been found guilty of killing his estranged wife and her friend.
You may remember back in October 2021 that Ali Abulaban, known as @Jinnkid online, killed his wife Ana Abulaban, 28, and her pal Rayburn Cadenas Barron, 29, after believing he’d caught them having an affair. Ali and Ana were having marriage problems, and he’d recently moved into a hotel at her request. But the content creator then snuck into her San Diego apartment while she was out and downloaded a listening device on their daughter’s iPad, which he stashed in Ana’s room. Later, when he heard Ana talking to a man, he stormed back over to the apartment, fatally shooting them both.
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The social media star, who grew famous for impersonating Scarface’s Tony Montana and John Wick (as seen in the lower left inset), then picked up his young daughter from school and admitted to the killings while on the phone with his mother. He was soon arrested, and his daughter was thankfully unharmed. He has been behind bars since his arrest.
On Wednesday, the 31-year-old was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder using a firearm as well as a special circumstance charge for committing multiple murders, according to KUSI. The jury had been in deliberation since last Friday. While there was no question he’d committed the murders, they were tasked with deciding whether it was first-degree, second-degree, or manslaughter — with the main difference being whether or not it was premeditated.
Ali’s defense team tried to argue he was “simply out of his mind” while he claimed “all judgment and reason [flew] out the window” when he saw his wife and her friend together. During his testimony, he also admitted to having a history of violence with his partner after prosecutors alleged he was “harassing” Ana before her death. The defendant also admitted to entering and trashing Ana’s apartment on the morning of the killings to plant the iPad in hopes of catching her having sex. But he claimed that this decision to activate the app was a spur-of-the-moment decision and not pre-planned.
The felon now faces life in prison, which is actually not the worst it could have been. He could have faced the death penalty if prosecutors had decided to pursue that option, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. His sentencing has been scheduled for June 28.
While hearing this verdict, Ali broke down in tears in the courtroom as others cheered. You can watch the hearing (below):
Our thoughts go out to the little girl who has now lost both parents thanks to this tragic killing. Such a senseless and awful act.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/.
To learn more about the impact of gun violence, visit https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence.
[Image via Ali Abulaban/Instagram/TikTok & CBS 8 San Diego/YouTube]
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