A California man faces the death penalty for allegedly executing a couple, burning their bodies in the desert, and stealing items worth $250K.
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ORANGE COUNTY, CA
– In a disturbing case unfolding in California, a man faces potential capital punishment for allegedly executing a couple in the desert, incinerating their bodies and cars, and looting their home of luxury goods worth a quarter-million dollars.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer 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.”
Gruesome Allegations and Charges
Huangting Gong, 30, has been charged with two counts of murder, kidnapping, two counts of arson, and two counts of burglary, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors have added multiple special circumstances enhancements, including one for multiple murders, another for murder during a kidnapping, and two for discharging a firearm resulting in death, making Gong eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
“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,”
Spitzer continued in his statement. “We are committed to pursuing justice for the victims and their loved ones.”
Missing Persons Report Leads to Shocking Discovery
The investigation began on Oct. 15 when a family member of 37-year-old Kuanlun Wang contacted the Brea Police Department, concerned after several days without contact. The relative reported that Wang was owed $80,000 by Gong, his business associate. When the family member reached out to Gong on Oct. 12, Gong allegedly claimed that Wang and his wife, Jing Li, had left for New York City to collect the debt from another associate. Wang’s family, however, had not been told of any planned trip.
On Oct. 14, the relative saw an unidentified person on Wang’s home security camera, raising further suspicion. When Gong denied it was him and later cut off access to the surveillance, concerns deepened. Following a detailed investigation, Gong was arrested on Nov. 5 at Los Angeles International Airport upon his return from Seattle.
A Chilling Series of Events
According to investigators, Gong allegedly lured Wang to a desert area on Oct. 12, where he shot him in the head. Gong reportedly then drove Wang’s body in his Tesla back to his home, where he encountered Wang’s wife, Jing Li. Gong allegedly attacked Li with a hammer, coercing her into providing the password to her phone. Afterward, investigators say he forced her into her own Tesla, drove her to a desert location in San Bernardino, and shot her before setting her body ablaze.
Gong allegedly returned to Wang’s home later, took Wang’s body to a desert area in Riverside County, and attempted to dispose of it in the same manner by setting it on fire. He then transported both Teslas to different desert locations and burned them as part of the effort to cover his tracks. On Oct. 14, Gong allegedly returned to the couple’s home and stole luxury items, including high-end watches, shoes, handbags, and clothing, valued at nearly $250,000.
Gong’s arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 2. If convicted, he faces either life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
In a case so extreme, the promise of justice may be small comfort, yet it stands as a determined pursuit to honor the lives that were so ruthlessly taken.
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