A former TikTok star known for his impersonations of Al Pacino’s character under the pseudonym JinnKid in Scarface broke down in tears when he was found guilty of murdering his wife and her friend in San Diego in 2021.
Ali Abulaban, 32, learned his fate Wednesday after a trial in which he never denied killing Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Barron, 29, after stumbling upon them cuddling on the couch in the house. of the couple three years ago.
Both victims were shot to death. The jury in the case upheld a special circumstances allegation since he was charged with multiple murders, meaning it could have become a death penalty case if prosecutors had pursued it.
When the verdict was read, cheers erupted from the court’s public gallery, causing Abulaban to turn to look at the commotion, tears streaming down his face, reports NBC San Diego.
Ali Abulaban, 32, learned his fate Wednesday after a trial in which he never denied killing Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Barron, 29.
The suspect stumbled upon the couple together at their old home in 2021 and became enraged.
Abulaban wept openly in court when the verdict, which convicted him on all charges, was read.
He will return to court on June 28 for sentencing that could mean he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
‘Finally, my brother and Ana got some justice. “Obviously nothing is going to bring our brother or Ana back, but at least he will never be able to do this to another person again,” Barrón’s sister, Jordana, told the NBC affiliate.
‘It’s relief. We have been waiting for this for almost three years,” added Julia Stuntz, Ana’s friend.
The TikToker, who has a history of domestic violence, was allegedly kicked out of the couple’s apartment at the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex.
Prosecutors allege he secretly obtained the key to the room and shot his wife and Barron to death while they sat on the couch.
During his long period on the stand in the case, Abulaban admitted to hitting and pushing his wife on several occasions, but claimed he never would have done so before the family moved from Virginia to San Diego in early 2021.
Abulaban then described the volatile state of his relationship with Ana following the couple’s move, a decision he said was driven by his wife.
Ana became obsessed with moving to San Diego and would get angry if anything interfered with her plans to move, according to Abulaban.
After his brother suffered a mental health episode, Abulaban wanted to postpone the move, but Ana allegedly told him, ‘take me to San Diego or I will divorce you.’
Abulaban painted a picture of the volatile state of his relationship with Ana following the couple’s move, a decision he insists was driven by his wife, during his testimony.
PICTURED: Victim Rayburn Barron on his Facebook page. Prosecutors said the jealous Tiktoker believed his wife was cheating on him with Rayburn, as Brast said Ana and Ali had already been separated ‘for quite some time’ before that.
When the couple finally moved in, they dove headlong into a life of drugs and partying, a lifestyle that was allegedly sparked by Ana’s group of friends. Abulaban claims he felt like an outcast and struggled to fit in during his stay. in San Diego.
“We were a very close-knit unit and then we brought these friends into our lives,” Abulaban testified.
Abulaban said the couple began arguing frequently over alleged infidelities on both sides. She remembers one particular fight in July 2021 in which Ana claimed that she had slept with one of her friends.
At the time, high on cocaine, Abulaban said the comment “shook me and I exploded.” He then punched him three times in the face.
The accused killer testified in court that he was using cocaine to cope with his emotional struggles, but that the drugs made him violent and aggressive.
A few days after the argument, the couple fought again because Ana was going to a girls-only party, which Abulaban considered to be an attempt by her friends to exclude her.
He was also concerned because his wife mentioned bringing their young daughter to the party, which he felt would be inappropriate because he assumed there would be drugs there.
He testified that he tried to stop Ana from leaving through the front door and, in his effort to keep her out, he pushed her and she hit her head on the refrigerator.
In the photo: Abulaban with his wife in one of his viral TikTok videos.
Prosecutors previously said Abulaban had surreptitiously installed a listening device on his five-year-old daughter’s tablet, and when he heard his wife and another man talking, he went to their San Diego apartment and shot them to death.
Around 3:10 p.m. on the day of the murders, police discovered both victims dead on the 35th floor of the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex.
Prosecutors said the ‘jealous’ TikToker believed his wife was cheating on him with Rayburn, as Brast said Ana and Abulaban had already been separated ‘for quite some time’ before that.
According to Brast, Ana had asked her husband to move out on October 18 while he checked into a hotel.
Three days later, Brast said, Abulaban sneaked back into the apartment and vandalized it while his wife was away. While she was there, she said she also installed the listening app on her daughter’s iPad.
Prosecutors believe Abulaban copied a key to Anna’s apartment and used it to get inside.
Hours later, Abulaban listened to the app and heard his wife and a man talking and laughing, before running back to the skyscraper, Brast said.
Security camera video showed him running out of the elevator on the 35th floor toward the apartment.
Brast said Abulaban shot Rayburn three times at close range, in the neck, cheek and back of the head, before turning the gun on his wife, shooting her once in the forehead.
The suspect then called his mother and confessed, Brast said.
“The defendant then fled the building, went to pick up his daughter from school and still had the loaded gun in his car,” Brast said. ‘(He) told his daughter that he “hurt mom” and was soon detained by the police.’
With his young daughter still in the car, Abulaban was stopped by police later that day and arrested, according to investigators.