Valley Man Accused Of Murdering Couple He Owed $80,000

Crime & Safety

Valley Man Accused Of Murdering Couple He Owed $80,000 Police believe a 30-year-old man murdered a man and woman execution style and torched their bodies in two separate SoCal deserts.

LOS ANGELES, CA — A 30-year-ol Glendale man was charged with murder for the execution style shootings of an Orange County couple he was indebted to, the Orange County District's Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.

According to prosecutors, Huangting Gong, shot 37-year-old Kuanlun Wang and his wife 37-year-old Jing Li and burned their bodies and their Teslas in two different Southern California deserts before stealing $250,000 worth of luxury watches, handbags, and clothing from the couple's Brea home.

The alleged murders are believed to have taken place Oct. 12. Gong has been charged with murder, kidnapping, arson and burglary. He was also charged with two felony special circumstances enhancements for committing multiple murders, one felony special circumstances enhancement for committing murder during the commission of kidnapping, and two felony enhancements for discharging a firearm causing death.

"Depravity does not adequately describe the callousness involved to kill a human being and then drive around in the victim's own car with his body inside in order 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 desperate attempt by a killer to cover up his crimes. We are committed to pursuing justice for the victims and their loved ones."

If convicted, Gong could face the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole.

According to prosecutors, a family member of Kuanlun Wang called Brea police Oct, 15 to report Wang missing and informed detectives that Gong owed Wang $80,000.

Wang's family member had grown concerned on the day of the alleged murders and contacted Gong, who told her Wang and his wife never showed up for a trip to New York City to meet with another business associate, prosecutors allege. However, Wang's family was not aware of any trip planned to New York.

The family member reached out to Gong again after seeing a man on Wang's patio on surveillance video on Oct. 14, but Gong denied that it was him. That's when the relatives access to the video surveillance system was cut off, according to police.

Police believe what really happened is that Gong met Wang in a desert area and fatally shot him in the head, placing him in the Tesla and then driving it back to the couple's home in Brea, where he attacked Li with a hammer.

Prosecutors allege Gong forced her to give him access to her phone before forcing her into her Tesla and taking her out to a desert area in San Bernardino, where he shot her and burned her body. Next, he drove back to the couple's home, retrieved Wang's body, took it to the desert in Riverside County and burned it and both Tesla cars, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors believe he returned to the home in the following days and stole about $250,000 in valuables.

Gong was arrested last Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 2.