A court heard that a TikTok star allegedly killed his wife and her alleged lover, claiming that he lost control after she boasted about having slept with one of his acquaintances.
According to NBC7, Ali Abulaban, 32, known as JinnKid on social media, allegedly shot his wife, Ana Abulaban, 28, and her friend Rayburn Cadenas Barron, 29, on October 21, 2021, in San Diego.
The individual known for their videos on TikTok, who has previously been involved in domestic violence incidents, was supposedly evicted from the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex where they shared a residence with their partner.
On May 21, Abulaban appeared in court to stand trial for first-degree murder charges. During the trial, he admitted to being consumed by paranoia over his partner’s alleged infidelity. He even went as far as using his young daughter’s iPad to secretly record their interactions in their previous shared luxury high-rise apartment. On one occasion, he barged into the apartment and caught Ana and Barron in an embrace.
During his testimony, Abulaban revealed that he never expected Ana to betray him in such a way, especially with him. He expressed how she was fully aware of his feelings towards the person in question and how he was trying to believe her. Despite struggling with drug and mental health issues, Abulaban hoped that she would allow him to fix their relationship and not cheat on him. These statements were reported by FOX 5 San Diego during the trial.
“I attempted to mend the situation, but when I realized it was him, I couldn’t handle it. The sense of betrayal was too much to bear.”
At approximately 3:10 pm on the day of the shooting, authorities found both victims deceased on the 35th floor of the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex.
He explained to the courtroom, “I couldn’t control myself and suddenly I lost it. My gun was in my hand and before I knew it, I was firing shots without being able to stop. I was just shooting, and even I was surprised by my actions.”
The jurors were then informed that he had phoned his mother to confess and had also sent her a photo of the bodies, claiming that he did not remember taking it.
According to NBC7, the trial heard that he picked up his 5-year-old daughter from school and informed her, “I hurt Mommy.”
Despite the defense attorney’s claims that he was “not in his right mind”at the time of the slayings, they deny that it was first-degree murder.
Defense attorneys claim Abulaban was “not in his right mind” when the shooting happened.
During cross-examination, prosecutors questioned him about multiple incidents of domestic violence, including one where he punched his wife in the face. Abulaban also confessed to hitting Ana in the face shortly before the shooting, and it was revealed that he had previously discouraged her from reporting the abuse to the police.
During his testimony, he informed the jurors that the couple had been regularly arguing about accusations of infidelity from both parties. He also stated that during a fight in July of 2021, Ana had confessed to sleeping with one of his friends.
Abulaban, who admitted to being under the influence of cocaine, stated that the comment caused him to lose control and he proceeded to strike her in the face three times.
Prior to the shooting, Abulaban, known by his TikTok username JinnKid and boasting almost a million online followers, gained recognition for his posts featuring comedic sketches and spot-on imitations of celebrities such as the iconic “Scarface”character, Tony Montana.
If found guilty, he will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for two charges of first-degree murder.
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