Man sentenced to life in prison for shooting dead TikTok influencer, aged 19, and his date, age 18, in cinema

A man has been handed a life prison sentence after fatally shooting a TikTok influencer and his date in a cinema.

Joseph Jimenez, now aged 23, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, as well as an additional 50 years to life, for the July 26 2021, killings yesterday (Monday February 26).

Anthony Barajas, age 19, known on TikTok as itsanthonymichael, and Rylee Goodrich, age 18, were found dead in a cinema in Corona, a city southeast of Los Angeles, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said.

Cinema staff found Barajas, was known on TikTok as @itsanthonymichael and had almost one million followers on the popular social media platform. He was known for posting videos of him singing and also activities he did with his family.

In one video Barajas, who was days away from his 20th birthday when he was killed, said: "I love the outdoors. I surf, skate, snowboard, I will sing to you whenever you want . . . oh, and I love my mum." In another video, he also spoke about his desire to find a girlfriend. Heartbroken fans took to comments on the video to say he had found his love in Goodrich. One said: "You found her, you both will meet in heaven. I am in tears for you both. May you both have eternal love."

Barajas and Goodrich were found dead after an evening showing of “The Forever Purge”, officials said. Goodrich was pronounced dead at the venue and Barajas was taken to a hospital, where he was placed on life support but later pronounced dead.

Jimenez was arrested in nearby California city El Cerrito the day after the shootings, the district attorney’s office said. Jimenez, who was 20 at the time of the killings, entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. In December, Superior Court Judge Timothy J. Hollenhorst ruled that he was sane, The Associated Press reported.

In 2021, Jimenez told The Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper in a jailhouse interview he was schizophrenic and had been tormented by voices. “The voices said my friends and family were going to be killed,” and that led to his shooting the couple, he told the publication.

Jimenez’ defense attorney, Charles Kenyon, told reporters after the sentencing that the killings were tragic but that they also ultimately resulted because of “the failures of the mental health system,” including inadequate hospitalisations and inadequate care.

Jimenez was “really a product of his mental illness,” Kenyon said outside court, a video from KTTV-TV of Los Angeles showed. "Morally speaking, in many ways he didn’t want for this, he didn’t ask for this," he added.

Jimenez said in court before he was sentenced: “I just want to say to the families that I’m sorry, and I wish I never did what I did, and my condolences. If things could have been different, I would have made a different choice.”

Barajas’ mum, Catherine Barajas, said after sentencing that “I’m very happy that this part is over.” She added: “It’s been a very long two and a half years, and it’s time to close this chapter, to focus on our son and to carry on his legacy. We’re going to do that by continuing to do small acts of kindness, one at a time, to make a difference in the world and to keep him alive.”

She said her son had a beautiful smile and made a difference in the world. "Anthony was known for his kindness," she added. Fans of Barajas have left many tributes to him on his last TikTok videos, including many who offered condolences to his mum. One said: "Deepest sympathies to his mom, I can’t imagine what she’s going through." Another added: "I’m so sorry for what happened. If the mum ever reads this tell her I can feel her pain as I write this."