Man Who Killed TikTok Star, Date In Fatal Movie Theater Shooting Sentenced

While the judge agreed there was "no question" Jimenez suffered from schizophrenia, he also believed Joseph Jimenez Jr. was sane at the time of the murders.

The man who pled guilty by reason of insanity for the murders of TikTok star star Anthony Barajas and his date, Rylee Goodrich will spend the rest of his life in prison.

During his hearing on Monday, Joseph Jimenez Jr. was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He was also given 100 years to life — 25 to life for each murder, and 25 to life for using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

"I’m very happy part that this part is over," Anthony’s mother, Catherine Barajas, said after the sentencing. "It’s time to close this chapter and 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."

In July 2021, Jimenez Jr. shot the two teenagers during a screening of The Forever Purge at a Regal Edwards Theater in Corona. Goodrich died on the scene, while Barajas died in a hospital a few days later. Their bodies weren't found until employees entered the theater for cleanup after the movie ended.

Barajas, who was 19 when he died, had a large following on TikTok, with around 930,000 followers. He and Goodrich, 18, were on a first date when they were shot.

After initially pleading not guilty, Jimenez Jr. later admitted to the killings but claimed insanity. His insanity trial took place back in December 2023, with the judge finding he was sane at the time of the murders.

The shooter took the stand during the trial, saying (via the OC Register), he and his friends grabbed dinner before the movie and that's when he started hearing voices threatening to kill him. He said he had been hearing voices for months before the shooting, scaring him so much he bought a gun for protection. That same gun, he said, he retrieved from his car halfway through the movie after he heard imaginary voices between someone named Abigail and another companion saying, "We're going to get you guys."

Per the arrest affidavit, Jimenez's friends left him in the theater "mumbling and talking to himself" while they used the restroom near the end of the film, before they saw him "run outside the theater and run to his vehicle" and speed away.

Jimenez testified he believed the voices were coming from a real person, so he shot at the teens -- who were the only other people at the screening. He also said he cried before killing them, because he knew it was wrong, before stealing Goodrich's wallet. He reportedly acknowledged he now understands the voices "are all in my head," saying murders "felt sort of surreal" because he knew he "shouldn't have done that but it was in the heat of the moment."

One of Jimenez's friends testified he was giving "death stares" during the movie and even muttered to himself, "I can't do that to them." The friend claimed they didn't know his friend had a gun on him, or he would have warned the unsuspecting couple or called the cops.

Speaking in her brother's defense, Daisy Jimenez said he began hearing voices after the death of their mother and was diagnosed with schizophrenia with paranoid hallucinations after stays at several mental health facilities.

During closing arguments, Jimenez's defense attorney reportedly said, "We all agree that schizophrenia caused this." He added, "Joseph Jimenez is not a bad person," saying his client was "misguided by the voices" in his head and was only "acting out of fear in defense of his friends and family."

The prosecution argued Jimenez had been told "take your medication and don't do drugs" every time he was discharged from a facility, but instead did "the exact opposite."

While the judge agreed there was "no question" Jimenez suffered from schizophrenia, he also reportedly said it was "clear to this court that the defendant was not treating his mental health issues appropriately by not regularly taking his medication."

He also said Jimenez's behavior before and after the shooting -- including warning friends about the gun, his "normal" interaction with an employee before the movie and his running out an emergency exit -- all factored into his decision.

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