- Ali Abulaban, 32, is on trial for the murder of his wife Ana Abulaban
- He testified in court on Tuesday that his cocaine addiction made him violent
- READ MORE: 'Jealous' TikTok star, 32, will FINALLY go on trial
A TikTok star accused of murdering his wife and her 'lover' told a court that he 'snapped' after she bragged about sleeping with one of his friends.
Ali Abulaban, 32, who went by the handle 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 for trial on Tuesday to face first-degree murder charges - but Tuesday's day-long testimony didn't even get the chance to touch on the events of October 21.
The TikToker, who has a history of domestic violence, was allegedly kicked out of the couple's apartment at the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex.
Prosecutors allege that he secretly obtained a room key and gunned down his wife and Barron while they sat on the couch.
Ali Abulaban, 32 (pictured left), who went by the handle JinnKid on social media, is accused of shooting his wife , Ana Abulaban, 28 (pictured right), and her friend Rayburn Cadenas Barron, 29 on October 21, 2021, in San Diego
Abulaban took the stand for trial on Tuesday to face first-degree murder charges
During Tuesday's testimony, Abulaban admitted to punching and pushing his wife on various occasions - but claimed that he would have never done so 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 insists was driven by his wife.
Ana became obsessed with moving to San Diego - and grew angry if anything interfered with their plans to move, according to Abulaban.
After his brother suffered a mental health episode, Abulaban wanted to postpone the move - but Ana allegedly said 'take me to San Diego or I'm divorcing you.'
When the pair finally moved, they dove head first into a life of drugs and partying - a lifestyle which was allegedly brought on by Ana's friend group. Abulaban claims he felt like an outcast and struggled to fit in during his time in San Diego.
'We were a close-knit unit and then we brought in these friends into our life,' Abulaban testified.
Abulaban said the pair began arguing frequently about alleged infidelity on both sides. He recalls a particular fight in July 2021 in which Ana claimed she had slept with one of his friends.
High on cocaine at the time, Abulaban said the remark 'shook me and I snapped.' He then punched her three times in the face.
The accused murderer testified in court that he was using cocaine to cope with his emotional struggles, but that the drugs were making him violent and aggressive.
A few days after the argument, the couple fought again because Ana was going to a girls only party, which Abulaban felt was an attempt from her friends to ostracize her.
PICTURED: Victim Rayburn Barron on his Facebook page. Prosecutors said that the jealous Tiktoker believed that his wife was cheating on him with Rayburn, as Brast said that Ana and Ali had already been separated 'for quite some time' before that
Abulaban then painted a picture of the volatile state of his relationship with Ana following the couple's move - a decision he insists was driven by his wife
He was also concerned because his wife mentioned bringing their young daughter to the party, which he felt would not be appropriate because he assumed there would be drugs there.
He testified that he tried to block Ana from leaving through the front door and in his effort to keep her out, pushed her and she struck her head against their refrigerator.
Prosecutors previously said Abulaban had surreptitiously installed a listening device on his five-year-old daughter's tablet device, and when he heard his wife and another man talking, he went to her apartment in San Diego and shot them to death.
Around 3.10pm on the day of the slayings, police discovered both victims dead on the 35th floor of the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex.
Prosecutors said that the 'jealous' TikToker believed that his wife was cheating on him with Rayburn, as Brast said that Ana and Abulaban had already been separated 'for quite some time' before that.
According to Brast, Ana had asked her husband to move out on October 18 as he checked into a hotel.
Three days later, Brast said, Abulaban sneaked back into the apartment and trashed it while his wife was gone. While he was there, she said that he also installed the listening app on his daughter's iPad.
Prosecutors believe that Abulaban copied a key to Anna's apartment and used it to get in.
Abulaban then listened to the app hours later and heard his wife and a man talking and giggling, before he raced back to the high-rise, Brast said.
Security camera video showed him running out of the elevator on the 35th floor toward the apartment.
Brast said Abulaban shot Rayburn three times at close range - in the neck, cheek and back of the head - before he turned the gun on his wife, shooting her once 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 toward 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 that he "hurt mommy" and then he was soon apprehended by the 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 toward the end of the week.
