An Orange County man has been charged with murdering a couple whose bodies he burned under extraordinary circumstances. Prosecutors said he owed them $80,000.
Huangting Gong, 30, was charged with two felony counts of murder, one felony count of kidnapping, two felony counts of arson of property and two felony counts of first-degree burglary for the October incident. In addition to those charges, he also faces two special circumstances enhancements for committing multiple murders, committing murder while committing kidnapping and two counts of discharging a firearm causing death, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Office.
On October 15, a relative of 37-year-old Kuanlun Wang contacted Brea police to report that they had not heard from him for several days, which was unusual.
“The relative told police that Wang revealed that Huangting Gong, a business associate, owed him $80,000,” the statement said.
After not hearing from Wang, the relative contacted Gong on October 12. He told her that Wang’s wife, 37-year-old Jing Li, did not show up for a trip to New York City where they were supposed to meet. another business associate who would give him the $80,000 he owed. Prosecutors say the family members were unaware of any travel.
Two days later, the relative contacted Gong again after seeing him on surveillance video from Wang’s patio, the statement said.
“Gong denied it was him and her access to the video surveillance system was subsequently cut off,” prosecutors said in the statement.
He was arrested at LAX on November 5 while returning from a trip to Seattle after BPD detectives conducted a preliminary investigation into the case.
Prosecutors accuse Gong of meeting Wang in the desert on Oct. 12, where he shot him in the head and then loaded his body into the back of his own Tesla. He then drove back to Wang’s home in Brea, where he allegedly attacked Li with a hammer. He hit her while forcing her to give him the password to her cell phone, the affidavit said.
“Gong is accused of putting Li in her own Tesla and taking her to a desert area in San Bernardino, where he shot her and then burned her body,” the OCDA statement said. “Gong is accused of then returning to retrieve Wang’s body from his home in Brea and disposing of his body in a desert area in Riverside County and burning the body.”
Prosecutors also allege that Gong took both of the couple’s Teslas to two different locations in the Southern California desert before setting them on fire.
After clearing the bodies and cars, Gong allegedly went back to the couple’s home on Oct. 14, where he stole $250,000 worth of watches, shoes, handbags and clothing, the affidavit said.
“Depravity does not adequately describe the callousness involved in killing a human being and then driving around in the victim’s car with his body inside to carry out the rest of his plan,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer . “No one deserves the fate of being executed and then set on fire in the middle of the desert in a killer’s desperate attempt to cover up his crimes. We are committed to pursuing justice for the victims and their loved ones.”
If Gong is convicted as charged, he will be eligible for life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, the OCDA statement said. He will be arraigned on December 2.
