Mom Describes Reaction When TikTok Influencer Son Allegedly Called Her and Confessed to Murdering Wife
Dalal Warra testified that her son called her moments after allegedly killing two people — including his wife — and confessed to the murders, according to reports
The mother of a former TikTok star who is accused of murdering his estranged wife and her friend took the stand on Monday, May 20, to discuss the moment her son allegedly confessed to her that he committed the double murder.
Ali Abulaban is accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife, 28-year-old Ana Abulaban, and her friend, 29-year-old Rayburn Barron, in October 2021 at a luxury San Diego apartment complex, according to NBC San Diego, 10 News and Fox 5.
Ali's mother, Dalal Warra, testified that her son called her in the moments after and said he killed Ana and Barron, NBC San Diego reports. Warra said she told her son something along the lines of, "That's not funny, Ali. Don't say that." She initially didn't believe him, but then he allegedly sent her a photo as proof, she testified, the outlet reports.
"I deleted it right away. I hung up the phone and I literally fell on the ground," Warra testified, CBS 8 reports.
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Ali — who had nearly a million followers on TikTok at the time of the murders — had moved out of the apartment the couple shared in San Diego, but allegedly snuck back inside at one point and downloaded an app with a listening device on his 5-year-old daughter's iPad, Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast previously claimed, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Later, Ali listened to the app and heard Ana talking with another man, then allegedly went back to the apartment and fatally shot that man, later identified as Barron, three times and struck Ana in the head, the outlet reports.
On May 21, Ali took the stand in his own defense and testified about his tumultuous relationship and admitted to drug use, Fox 5 reports. He testified that during one fight, “I snapped, I rolled on top of Ana and I began punching her, in her face, three times. I was just very impulsive,” per the outlet.
While Ali's mother was on the stand the following day, Brast asked her: “Did the defendant tell you that he has punched and hit Ana on a number of occasions?”
Warra responded: "Not punched. Hit, yes, but not punched,” according to CBS 8.
Ana and Ali were together for seven years at the time of her death. They shared one child.
Ana's friend, Alexandria Black, testified previously during the trial about her friend's relationship and her dislike of Ali, Fox 5 reports.
“I just couldn’t stand being around him," Black testified, according to the outlet. "He made everyone in the room feel uncomfortable, just very physical and verbal.”
A GoFundMe created in 2021 for Ana's funeral expenses reads, in part: "Losing a daughter, a sister, a mother in such a violent manner is unfathomable."
Barron, the second victim in the double-murder, was the "glue to his family," according to a GoFundMe that was created for his celebration of life expenses in 2021.
The double-murder trial is ongoing.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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