Man charged with killing Orange County couple he allegedly owed money to is set to appear in court

The Glendale man who faces murder and arson charges for allegedly killing and burning the bodies of a Brea couple to who he owed money is to appear in a Santa Ana court Monday for his arraignment.

Huanting Gong, 30, is accused of executing husband and wife, Kuanlun Wang and Jing Li, both 37, setting their bodies and their cars on fire in two different desert locations, and then stealing nearly $250,000 worth of luxury watches, handbags, and clothing from the couple's Brea home.

Gong 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 incidents. He has also been 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.

On Oct. 15, a family member of Wang contacted police 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," a statement from the Orange County District Attorney's Office said. 

After not hearing from Wang, the family member contacted Gong on Oct. 12. He told her that Wang's wife, 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 Brea detectives conducted a preliminary investigation.

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, 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."

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. 

Gong is eligible for a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.