Glendale man charged with murder for killing, burning bodies of Orange County couple that he owed $80k
An Orange County man has been charged with the special circumstances murder of a couple whose bodies he burned. Prosecutors say he owed them $80,000.
Huanting 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 incident in October. On top of those charges, he also faces two felony special circumstances enhancements for committing multiple murders, committing murder during the commission of kidnapping and two counts of discharging a firearm causing death, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
On Oct. 15, a family member of Kuanlun Wang, 37, contacted the Brea Police Department to report that they had not heard from him in several days, which was out of the ordinary.
"The family member told police that Wang had disclosed that he was owed $80,000 by Huangting Gong, a business associate," the statement said.
After not hearing from Wang, the family member contacted Gong on Oct. 12. He told her that Wang's wife, 37-year-old Jing Li, did not show up for a trip to New York City, in which they were supposed to meet another business associate who would give him the $80,000 that he owed. Prosecutors say that the family members were not aware of any trip.
Two days later, the family member again contacted Gong after seeing him on surveillance video footage from Wang's patio, the statement said.
"Gong denied that it was him and then her access to the video surveillance system was cut off," prosecutors said in the statement.
He was arrested at LAX on Nov. 5 as he returned from a trip to Seattle after BPD detectives conducted a preliminary investigation into the matter.
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 for her cellphone, the statement said.
"Gong is accused of putting Li inside of her own Tesla, taking her to a desert area in San Bernardino where he shot her and then burned her body," OCDA's statement said. "Gong is accused of then returning to retrieve Wang's body from his Brea home and disposing of his body in a desert area in Riverside County and burning the body."
Prosecutors also claim that Gong took both of the couple's Teslas to two different locations in the Southern California desert before setting them on fire.
After he got rid of 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 statement said.
"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 as charged, Gong is eligible for a life sentence without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, the OCDA's statement said. He is scheduled for arraignment on Dec. 2.