A California courtroom burst into cheers as a TikTok star who was found guilty of killing his estranged wife and her friend was sentenced to decades in prison.
Ali Abulaban, 32, became known on TikTok under the handle 'JinnKid' thanks to the impersonations he did of famous characters, like Scarface.
He had gained almost one million followers on the platform before he was found guilty earlier this year of murder, after his estranged wife, Ana Abulaban, 28, and her friend, Rayburn Cardenas Barron, 29, were killed in October 2021.
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Though Ana and Abulaban were already estranged, the TikToker installed a listening device on their five-year-old daughter's iPad and heard the voice of another man in their San Diego home.
Ana and Barron were in the apartment when Abulaban burst in and shot Barron three times. He then turned the gun on his wife.
During the trial, Abulaban confessed while on the stand and claimed he 'just snapped'.
“My gun was in my hand and next thing I'm shooting,” he said.
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Abulaban was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, and was sentenced this month by San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Fraser.
During the sentencing hearing, family members of the victims were able to give impact statements before the judge gave his decision.
Ana's sister told Abulaban: "You promised my mom that you would take good care of them like my parents did for Ana Marie and Amira back in the Philippines.
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"But I had no idea that my sister's life would be miserable living with you. You treated my sister like she didn’t matter, but she mattered."
Barron's sister, Lizbeth, added that his family are having 'difficulty living a normal and healthy life' in the wake of their loss.
During his own statement, Abulaban apologized for the pain caused to the families but claimed the killings were the result of a 'a drug-induced psychosis'.
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Judge Fraser said he had 'serious reservations' that Abulaban was remorseful for his actions, and described him as a 'very selfish person'.
He handed him two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole plus, another 50 years behind bars for gun enhancement charges.
Fraser said: "The bottom line here is, he will die in prison, he will never be a free man. He will take his last breath there."
As the judge delivered the sentencing, the courtroom erupted into cheers and applause from the relieved family members and other onlookers.
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Meanwhile, Abulaban mocked the crowd by joining in with the applause, as well as mouthing an expletive.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.
Topics: TikTok, Crime, California, Social Media
Emily Brown