Instead of Paying Couple $80K He Owed, Man Killed California Couple & Set Bodies on Fire: DA

11/13/2024 01:56 PM

"Depravity does not adequately describe the callousness involved," said the DA, as the 30-year-old suspect's "desperate attempt by a killer to cover up his crimes" are detailed.

A California man is facing murder charges after the brutal murders of an Orange County couple he allegedly owed money to, this according to prosecutors.

Huangting Gong, 30, of Glendale has been charged in the deaths of Kuanlun Wang and wife Jing Li, both 37. He accused of "executing" them, before setting both their bodies and vehicles on fire in the desert ... and stealing $250K of goods from their home.

Mom Sentenced After Allegedly Forcing 3 Kids to Live Alone with Dead Brother's Corpse

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced all the charges on Tuesday, revealing Gong faces 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's 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.

Per the DA, he's eligible for life without parole or the death penalty. He'll be arraigned December 2.

Investigation Into Huangting Gong

The investigation began on October 15, when one of Wang's family members contacted Brea Police. They said they hadn't heard from him in "several days," said prosecutors, and considered that "very unusual." The family member also claimed Wang told them Gong -- a business associate -- owed him $80,000.

Gong allegedly told the same family member that Wang and his wife never showed up for a trip to NYC to meet someone who could give him the money Gong owed -- though the victim's family said they didn't know anything about the trip.

They also confronted Gong again, said the DA, after "seeing a man on Wang's patio on surveillance video on October 14, 2024." Gong, however, allegedly denied he was the person in the footage, before the family member's "access to the video surveillance system was cut off."

Prosecutors then laid out what they believe happened.

Gong is accused of meeting Wang in the desert on October 12, before shooting him in the head and driving back to the victim's home in Wang's own Tesla, with the body in the vehicle. Once back at the home, he's also accused of "attacking Li with a hammer and hitting her while forcing her to give him her phone's password."

Prosecutors then say he put Li into her own Tesla, still alive, before taking her to a desert area of San Bernardino, shooting her and burning her body.

Gong is accused of then going back to Wang's home for his body, before burning it in a desert area in Riverside. He also, say prosecutors, burned both Teslas in two different areas.

But Gong wasn't gone yet, per the DA.

He's also accused of returning to the home again on October 14 -- after allegedly burning the victims' bodies and vehicles -- and stealing "nearly $250,000 worth of watches, shoes, handbags and clothing."

"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," sOrange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.

"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," he added. "We are committed to pursuing justice for the victims and their loved ones."

Gong was arrested at LAX on November 5, as he returned from a trip to Seattle.