Friends who went to movie theater with man who shot Tik Tok star and his date dead 'thought he was acting strangely and believed he had a gun'
- Joseph Jimenez, 20, killed Rylee Goodrich, 18, and Anthony Barajas, 19, while they were watching a screening of The Forever Purge at a California cinema
- Three friends of Jimenez told detectives he was acting so strangely that they snuck out of the movie house
- They say they saw him run out of Regal Edwards Cinema on the night of July 26 and speed away in his car, according to a sworn declaration
- Jimenez was charged with murder and attempted murder, but the second count is expected to be upgraded to murder by the time he goes to court on Thursday
Friends of a man who shot and killed a TikTok star and his girlfriend last week inside a California theater told police they were alarmed because they believed he had brought a gun into the cinema, but they left without apparently warning anyone.
The three friends of Joseph Jimenez, 20, told detectives he was acting so strangely that they snuck out of the movie house, records obtained by the Orange County Register show.
The unidentified pals later saw Jimenez run out of Regal Edwards Cinema in the city of Corona on the night of July 26 and speed away in his car, according to a police sworn declaration filed in court.
A theater employee found Rylee Goodrich, 18, and social media influencer Anthony Barajas, 19, with gunshot wounds to their heads after the 9.35pm showing of The Forever Purge.
The accused gunman, his friends and the two victims were the only people who attended the film as only six tickets had been purchased for the screening, police said.
It remains unclear whether the inaction by the three friends amounts to a crime.
Their names were not listed in county jail records on Tuesday.
Joseph Jimenez, 20, appeared in the Riverside Hall of Justice on Friday, in Riverside, California
Jimenez is alleged to have killed Rylee Goodrich, 18, with a bullet to the back of the head
Anthony Barajas was also shot in the head as one of the bullets went through his eye. He died on Saturday after being on life support
David Goodrich, Rylee's father, revealed that she was texting her mother just moments before the fatal shooting.
'She texted my wife how boring and stupid it was, how she didn't like the movie. That was the last we heard from her,' he said.
'It had to be right then.'
The 43-year-old dad said police told him they believe it was a random attack, and that Jimenez intended to steal from the young couple.
Share this article
Goodrich died at the scene. Barajas, a budding social media star, died at a hospital on Saturday after being on life support.
Barajas, known online as itsanthonymichael, had nearly 1 million followers on TikTok.
Goodrich was majoring in marketing and had a full academic scholarship to Grand Canyon University.
Joseph Jimenez, 20, was arrested on July 27 and charged with murder, attempted murder and robbery in a shooting that left two teens dead
Goodrich and Barajas were killed at the Regal Edwards Corona Crossings in Corona, California
Jimenez did not enter a plea deal when he appeared in court on Friday, opting instead to have his arraignment postponed until Thursday.
At court, he was confronted by Goodrich's father.
'Hey, look at me, bro! Look at me! Look at me, dude! That was my ...' the distraught parent said before breaking down in tears to be comforted by a friend.
Jimenez was arrested last Tuesday and charged with murder and attempted murder, but the second count is expected to be upgraded to murder by the time Jimenez appears in court Thursday for his arraignment, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney´s Office.
Police seized a handgun of the same caliber as the one believed to have been used in the shooting and recovered Goodrich's wallet and other possessions from Jimenez's home less than 24 hours after the shooting.
Rylee Goodrich's father, David (in white shirt), is seen leaving court on Friday after a brief court hearing, where he confronted Jimenez
Jimenez did not enter a plea deal when he appeared in court on July 31, opting instead to have his arraignment postponed until Thursday of this week
The allegations filed against Jimenez include sentencing enhancements of personal use of a firearm causing death, personally inflicting great bodily injury and personal use of a firearm causing great bodily injury.
Prosecutors also filed a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, which makes him eligible to receive the death penalty.
Jimenez's lawyer, Charles Kenyon, has not responded to requests for comments.
There is no indication that Jimenez knew the victims or that Barajas' role as a TikTok influencer played a role in the crime, Corona police Cpl. Tobias Kouroubacalis said last week.
