A TikTok star accused of murdering his wife and her “lover” has told the court he “snapped” after she bragged about sleeping with one of his friends.
Ali Abulaban, 32, who went by the name JinnKid on social media, is accused of shooting his wife, Ana Abulaban, 28, and her friend Rayburn Cadenas Barron, 29, on October 21, 2021, in San Diego .
Abulaban took the stand Tuesday to face first-degree murder charges — but Tuesday’s all-day testimony didn’t even get a chance to touch on the events of Oct. 21.
The TikToker, who has a history of domestic violence, was reportedly kicked out of the couple’s apartment in San Diego’s luxury Spire apartment complex.
Prosecutors say he secretly got the room key and shot his wife and Barron as they sat on the couch.
Ali Abulaban, 32 (pictured left), who went by the name JinnKid on social media, is accused of shooting his wife, Ana Abulaban, 28 (pictured right), and her friend Rayburn Cadenas Barron, 29 years, October 21, 2021, in San Diego
Abulaban appeared for trial Tuesday to face first-degree murder charges.
During testimony Tuesday, Abulaban admitted to hitting and pushing his wife multiple times — but claimed he never would have done it before the family moved from Virginia to San Diego in early 2021.
Abulaban then painted a picture of the volatile state of his relationship with Ana following the couple’s move – a decision he said was prompted by his wife.
Ana became obsessed with the idea of moving to San Diego — and would get angry if anything interfered with their moving plans, according to Abulaban.
After her brother suffered a mental health issue, Abulaban wanted to postpone the move – but Ana reportedly said “take me to San Diego or I’ll divorce you.”
When the couple finally moved out, they dove headfirst into a life of drugs and partying – a lifestyle allegedly brought on by Ana’s group of friends. Abulaban says he felt like an outcast and had trouble fitting in during his time in San Diego.
“We were a close-knit unit and then we brought these friends into our lives,” Abulaban testified.
Abulaban said the two began arguing frequently over alleged infidelities on both sides. He remembers a particular fight in July 2021 during which Ana claimed to have slept with one of her friends.
At the time, high on cocaine, Abulaban said the remark “shook me and I broke down.” He then punched him three times in the face.
The accused murderer testified in court that he used cocaine to cope with his emotional difficulties, but that the drugs made him violent and aggressive.
A few days after the argument, the couple argued again because Ana was going to an all-girls party, which Abulaban said was an attempt by her friends to ostracize her.
Pictured: Victim Rayburn Barron on his Facebook page. Prosecutors said the jealous Tiktoker thought his wife was cheating on him with Rayburn because Brast said Ana and Ali had been separated “for quite some time” before.
Abulaban then painted a picture of the volatile state of his relationship with Ana following the couple’s move – a decision he said was driven by his wife.
He was also concerned because his wife had told him to bring their young daughter to the party, which he said would not be appropriate because he thought there would be drugs there.
He testified that he tried to stop Ana from going out the front door and that, in his efforts to stop her from entering, he pushed her and she hit her head on their refrigerator .
Prosecutors previously said Abulaban 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 her apartment in San Diego and had shot them.
Around 3:10 p.m. on the day of the murders, police found the two victims dead on the 35th floor of the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex.
Prosecutors said the “jealous” TikToker thought his wife was cheating on him with Rayburn, as Brast said Ana and Abulaban had already been separated “for some time” before.
According to Brast, Ana asked her husband to move out on October 18 while he was checking into a hotel.
Three days later, Brast said, Abulaban sneaked into the apartment and trashed it while his wife was gone. While he was there, she said he also installed the listening app on his daughter’s iPad.
Prosecutors believe Abulaban copied Anna’s apartment key and used it to gain entry.
Abulaban then listened to the app a few hours later and heard his wife and a man talking and laughing, before running back toward the skyscraper, Brast said.
Security camera video showed him running out of the 35th floor elevator 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 in the forehead.
Abulaban faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of all counts and allegations, and jurors are expected to begin deliberating near the end of the week.
Pictured: Abulaban alongside his wife in one of his viral TikTok videos
The suspect then called his mother and confessed, Brast said.
“The defendant then fled the building, went to pick up his daughter from school, still had the loaded gun in his car,” Brast said. “(He) told his daughter he had ‘hurt mom’ and then was quickly apprehended by police.”
With his young daughter still in the car, Abulaban was stopped by police later that day and arrested, according to investigators.
Abulaban faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of all counts and allegations and jurors are expected to begin deliberating near the end of the week.
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