(RepublicanJournal.org) – Ali Abulaban was once a very popular TikTok star known for performing funny skits. He amassed over a million followers in his time on social media. However, now he’s in the news for a different reason. He has been convicted of the 2021 killings of his wife and a man he suspected she was cheating with.
On Wednesday, May 29, a San Diego jury found Abulaban guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. The reading of the verdict caused cheers to erupt throughout the courtroom. Ali, himself, broke down sobbing.
The case dates back to 2021. Abulaban and his wife, Ana Abulaban, were in a tumultuous relationship and living separately at the time she died. He suspected that she was cheating, however, and entered their apartment to program their daughter’s iPad with a listening app. On October 21, 2021, he said he heard a man speaking in the apartment and that’s when he entered. Abulaban shot Rayburn Cardenas Barron three times and then killed his wife. His mother, Dalal Warra, said within moments of shooting the victims, he called her and confessed.
Abulaban never denied shooting the two victims, and while he first pleaded not guilty, he later admitted to the crimes. However, the prosecution tasked the jury with determining what offenses Abulaban was guilty of. On the table were first-degree and second-degree murder charges and manslaughter. The prosecution had the burden of proving Ali went to the home with intentions to kill, also known as premeditated murder. Since the former TikTok star showed up with a loaded gun, jurors determined there was “an intent to kill with malice aforethought.”
The trial took place over a month. Several times, Abulaban failed to maintain his composure and even lashed out at the prosecutor. In the end, it took jurors just over a day to find him guilty.
Abulaban has been behind bars since his arrest in 2021. His sentencing is scheduled for June 28.
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