TikTok Star Denies Fatally Shooting Estranged Wife and Friend After Bugging Daughter's iPad

TikTok star Ali Abulaban allegedly killed his newly estranged wife and her male friend after installing a listening device on their daughter's iPad.

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A 29-year-old TikTok star has pleaded not guilty after allegedly fatally shooting his wife and a man she was with in San Diego, California.

Ali Abulaban and his 28-year-old wife Ana were recently estranged; she asked him to move out of their high-rise apartment on Oct. 18 and he checked into a hotel. CBS News reports he made a copy of their apartment key and later re-entered to trash the place and secretly install a listening device on their 5-year-old daughter’s iPad.

Security camera footage shows Abulaban running out of the elevator and into Ana’s apartment on Oct. 21 after hearing Ana and 29-year-old Rayburn Cadenas Barron talking and laughing together via the app. After shooting them both just before 3 p.m., Ali picked up his daughter from school with the weapon in the car.

During his arraignment, Abulaban pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and special-circumstance allegations of multiple killings. If convicted, prosecutors have the option to seek the death penalty, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Abulaban is a TikTok star who goes by the handle JinnKid and has about 943,000 followers on the platform with 12.1 million likes, plus 259K Instagram followers. He posts comedy skits and impersonations of the Scarface character Tony Montana.

Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast said Abulaban admitted to authorities that he shot Ana and Barron and claimed his wife was unfaithful; Barron was believed to be her friend. Abulaban allegedly shot Barron three times, then shot Ana in the head. Brast said he confessed his deed to his mother as well, and told his 5-year-old after school that he “hurt mommy.” He was arrested on Oct. 21 after calling the police; his daughter was still in the car. She’s now being taken care of by family.

Around two dozen family members and friends were present in the courtroom and cried as Brast recounted the deadly shootings. Ali Abulaban is in jail without bail and has been ordered by a judge to stay away from his daughter.

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