Couple shot, burned in desert, Orange Co. DA says

A Southern California man has been charged with killing a couple, burning their bodies and cars in the desert, and stealing items worth almost $250,000, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Huangting Gong, 30, of Glendale, was charged with 12 felony counts covering murder, murder with special circumstances, kidnapping, arson, and buglary, the D.A.’s office said in a news release Tuesday.

A relative of Kuanlun Wang, 37, alerted the Brea Police Department on Oct. 15 when he hadn’t been in contact for several days, which was “very unusual,” the D.A.’s office said. The relative also told police that the suspect Gong, who was Wang’s business associate, owed Wang $80,000.

Gong allegedly shot Wang in the desert on Oct. 12 and took his body back to Wang and wife Jing Li’s home in Brea, where he beat Li with a hammer, forced her to give up her phone password, and took her to the desert where he shot her as well, authorities 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,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the news release.

After disposing of the bodies and two cars in different parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Gong is accused of returning to the victims’ Brea home on Oct. 14 and stealing nearly $250,000 worth of watches, shoes, handbags, and clothing, authorities said.

Gong was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 5 after returning from a trip to Seattle.