A former San Diego TikTok star will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his estranged wife and her lover in October 2021, a judge ruled Friday during a heated proceeding.
Ali Abulaban, 32, who went by "JinnKid" on social media, was sentenced to two consecutive prison sentences of 25 years to life, without the possibility of parole, for the murders of his wife, Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Cardenas Barron, 29, at the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex in the East Village, which he admitted to during trial.
Ali testified during his trial in May that he could not stop shooting Ana and Barron after finding them in bed together. He was convicted in May of two counts of first-degree murder, NBC San Diego reported.
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The convicted killer went by JinnKid on TikTok and had approximately 940,000 followers at the time of the murders. His account featured comedy skits and impersonations of the character Tony Montana from the 1983 film "Scarface," Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast said after Ali's arraignment in October 2021.
"He is a very talented actor. When I saw the ‘Scarface’ videos, it's as if when he committed these crimes, he became that persona of Scarface," San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Fraser said of Ali during the hearing. "Just the cold-blooded killing without remorse."
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During Ali's sentencing, the crowd cheered, and he mockingly clapped in response, video of the proceeding shows.
"I don't know if he's really sorry," Fraser said in court. "I can't say that I think he's sorry for having killed these two innocent human beings."
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During his own statement, Ali Abulaban apologized for what happened, though he attributed his behavior in part to mental illness and drug abuse. He continued to defend his actions as a "crime of passion."
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"The fact that I spent more time on the stand than the jury took to deliberate my fate is very concerning," he told the court, NBC San Diego reported.
"He will die in prison," Fraser assured the courtroom.
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During the trial, prosecutors said Ana asked Ali to move out before he checked into a hotel and later snuck back into the high-rise apartment he shared with his wife. He allegedly trashed the apartment and installed a recording device on his daughter's iPad, leaving it in Ana's bedroom.
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Upon hearing his wife with the other man through the recording device, he returned to the apartment and allegedly shot Barron three times and Ana once in the head.
"And before I could stop myself, I just f---ing snapped. My gun was in my hand, and next thing, I’m shooting, and I can’t stop. I’m just shooting. I’m shooting, and I’m even startled," Ali testified during the trial, according to Fox 5 San Diego. "It’s like I’m watching it happen, like I’m in the passenger seat of my own body."
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During victim impact statements at the sentencing, Ana Abulaban's sister screamed at Ali about the impact of the loss on her family.
"I had no idea that my sister's life would be miserable living with you," she said, NBC San Diego reported. "You treated my sister like she didn’t matter, but she mattered."
