Authorities allege that a man from Glendale, who owed an Orange County couple $80,000, shot the husband, kidnapped and killed the wife, set their bodies on fire, and then returned to their home to steal nearly $250,000 in luxury items.
In light of these severe and troubling events, Huangting Gong, 30, may be subject to the death penalty, as stated by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
On November 5, Gong was taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport by Brea police, according to prosecutors, who have outlined a lengthy list of charges against him.
The charges consist of 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. He is set to appear in court on December 2.
A committee will be formed by the D.A.’s office to decide on the potential pursuit of the death penalty. In a different scenario, Gong could be looking at a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
A man faces accusations of murdering Kuanlun Wang, 37, and his wife, Jing Li, 37, in two brutal incidents.
According to prosecutors, he reportedly encountered Wang in the desert on October 12, shot him in the head, and then placed the body in Wang’s Tesla before heading back to the victim’s residence in Brea.
He reportedly assaulted Li with a hammer and compelled her to enter her own Tesla. Authorities reported that he subsequently transported Li to the desert in San Bernardino County, where he fatally shot her and incinerated her remains.
Following that, he went back to the residence in Brea to collect Wang’s remains and incinerate them in a remote location in Riverside County. He then took the two Teslas to separate desert sites and ignited each one, according to prosecutors.
However, the reported series of offenses continued beyond that point.
Prosecutors report that Gong returned to the residence on October 14, stealing nearly $250,000 in luxury watches, shoes, handbags, and clothing.
“The level of cruelty displayed in taking a life and then using the victim’s own vehicle to continue with one’s agenda is beyond comprehension,” O.C. Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer stated. “It is unimaginable that anyone should face such a horrific end, executed and then burned in the desert, all to conceal the actions of a murderer.”
A family member of Wang contacted Gong on October 12, expressing concern after being unable to reach Wang. According to prosecutors, Gong informed a family member that Wang and Li did not attend a meeting in New York to collect the $80,000 he owed them.
However, Wang’s family stated that they were unaware of any such meeting, as reported by the D.A.’s Office.
On October 14, the day Gong is accused of breaking into the home, a family member reached out to him after noticing a man on Wang’s patio in the footage captured by their surveillance cameras. Gong refuted claims that he was the individual seen in the footage. Subsequently, the family member inexplicably lost access to the footage, according to prosecutors.
On October 15, a family member reported Wang’s disappearance to the Brea Police Department, revealing that Gong had an outstanding debt of $80,000 to Wang.
Detectives arrested Gong at LAX upon his return from Seattle, according to prosecutors.
Source: Rather than pay a debt, he carried out a vicious, convoluted double-murder plot, prosecutors say
