The judge described Ali Abulaban as a “very talented actor” who committed a “cold-blooded killing without remorse,” while the TikToker — who previously claimed he “just f–king snapped” seeing his estranged wife with another man, before he shot them both — cried in court during his sentencing.
Ali Abulaban — the TikTok star found guilty of shooting and killing his estranged wife and the man he thought she was sleeping with — has been sentenced to life in prison.
During his sentencing hearing in a San Diego courtroom on Friday, Abulaban learned his fate after he was convicted in May of two counts of first-degree murder for the killing of his wife, Ana Abulaban, and Rayburn Barron.
On Friday, Judge Jeffrey Fraser sentenced the social media star to two consecutive life sentences without parole, and 50 years to life for gun enhancements, according to Court TV, which live-streamed the hearing.
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“As a matter of law, the defendant is ineligible for probation. But if he was eligible for probation, this court would not give him probation,” Fraser said.
“He’s a very talented actor,” he went on to add, before comparing Abulaban’s behavior during the shooting to his Scarface impression videos, which he was known for on TikTok. “It’s as if when he committed these crimes, he became that persona of Scarface. Just cold-blooded killing without remorse. Any tears that he’s cried in this courtroom have been for himself. They are not for Ray and Ana. That’s the reality. He fears the consequences — as he should — of his actions.”
“But as he sits here today, I don’t know if he’s really sorry,” Fraser continued, calling Abulaban a “very selfish person.”
“The bottom line here is he will die in prison. He will never be a free man,” he said, to which the court applauded in response.
Fraser’s closing remarks came after Abulaban appeared to get emotional while apologizing for his crimes, and cried as he addressed his daughter, whom he shared with Ana.
“I’m sorry for what my foolish actions have cost you, for what’s been taken from you. I’m sorry that now you not only have to grow up without your mother, but now you have to grow up without your father too. I’m ashamed. But that is why I will strive each and every day to better myself … and hopefully, one day come back home to you,” he said, before arguing that he believes he should have the ability for parole.
“Being sent to prison without the hope of ever getting out, honestly feels like I’m being sent to hell, and that’s terrifying. And I don’t think that’s right either,” Abulaban added.
Meanwhile, also during the sentencing hearing, per Court TV, Ana’s sister yelled at Abulaban while giving a victim impact statement. “If I had known what my sister had been through … I would have flown again to see her and done my best to take her away from you,” she said.
In late May, Abulaban was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. He was also found guilty of the special-circumstance allegation of committing multiple murders, per Fox’s San Diego affiliate, KUSI.
While Abulaban, 32, did not deny killing Ana, 28, and Barron, 29, he had pled not guilty, with his defense team arguing he was “simply out of his mind.” The prosecution had been pushing for a first-degree conviction.
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The official verdict, per KUSI, for Abulaban was that he was found guilty of intentionally using a firearm to cause great bodily injury and death to both victims.
Abulaban — who amassed nearly 950K followers thanks to comedy skits — took the stand in his own defense to tell his version of the events of October 21, 2021.
Abulaban’s claim is that “all judgment and reason [flew] out the window” when he saw his estranged wife and his friend together, convinced that they were cheating. You can read all the details of his testimony here.
He admitted to a history of violence against Ana under cross-examination. Per prosecutors, he was “harassing” Ana leading up to her death, with Ana telling him to leave her alone. She even threatened to get a restraining order.
Abulaban also admitted to going into Ana’s apartment the morning of her death, while she wasn’t home, and trashing the place — before activating a recording app on their daughter’s iPad and hiding it near Ana’s bed in an attempt to catch her having sex.
It was after hearing her and a man talking together on it later in the day, he rushed to the apartment.
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“I’m already freaking out, high out of my mind, I’m already amped up. I’m driving over 90 miles an hour … so I can catch it before it happens, stop it with my presence,” Abulaban testified. “I heard that they were making fun of me, like, ‘Did Ali make this mess?’ She said, ‘Yeah, and he bought me these cheap ass flowers.’ Let me tell you, when you hear your wife talk s–t about you to an undisclosed man, that’s f–king painful.”
He said he then started “double nostril-ing” cocaine from a bag, saying he did “probably the most coke I’ve ever done in a single moment” on the drive over.
Abulaban entered the unit and killed them both, first shooting Barron three times, before directing the gun to Ana, whom he shot in the head.
“Before I could stop myself, I just f–king snapped,” he said on the stand, before detailing the brutal shooting.
“My gun was in my hand, the next thing I’m shooting and I can’t stop. I’m even startled, it’s like I’m watching it happen, I’m in the passenger seat of my own body. I can’t stop it,” he recalled. “I hear Ana screaming and crying. I don’t even remember shooting Ana.”
On the stand, he still insisted the idea to activate the app the morning of the murders was a spur of the moment decision and not something he pre-planned.
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