Lover destroys evidence in Walnut Creek double slaying: DA
Suspect's girlfriend charged in connection to double slaying
Yan Wang, 45, of Oakland, is accused of aiding her boyfriend, Howard Wang, after the Walnut Creek slayings of his wife and mother-in-law. The defendants both happen to have the same last name.
WALNUT CREEK, CALIF. - The girlfriend of a man accused of killing his wife and mother-in-law in Walnut Creek has been charged as an accessory and with destroying evidence, prosecutors said.
Yan Wang, 45, of Oakland, is accused of helping her boyfriend, Howard Wang, 43, after he allegedly slashed the throats of his wife, Linlin Guo, and mother-in-law, Beimin Cheng.
The defendants both happen to have the same last name.
According to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, Yan Wang entered the home that Howard Wang owned with his wife with the intent to commit larceny. She is also accused of destroying cellphones to keep investigators from obtaining evidence.
She was arraigned on Tuesday on the charges.
Primary suspect’s arraignment ahead
What we know:
Howard Wang, who was in a relationship with Yan Wang while married to Guo, is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday.
Prosecutors say the killings happened inside the married couple’s Kelobra Court home. After slashing Guo and Cheng’s throats, Howard Wang allegedly fired two gunshots and falsely claimed he had shot at a fleeing intruder.
Walnut Creek police make arrest after 2 women's bodies found inside home
Walnut Creek police on Friday arrested a 43-year-old man after two women's bodies were found inside a home that neighbors said had seen previous domestic disturbances.
Children inside home
Dig deeper:
The couple’s 8-year-old twin daughters were inside the house at the time of the killings.
Records show Howard Wang filed for divorce in January 2024, but dropped the case in August of that year. Authorities say that same month, he had threatened his wife.
Tension at court hearing
At a Sept. 23 hearing after Howard Wang's arrest in the double homicide, Yan Wang showed up and got into a physical altercation with a member of the victims’ family. Sheriff’s deputies intervened to separate her from the relatives.
If convicted in the double homicide, Howard Wang faces life in prison.
The Source: Information for this story is derived from the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office, along with previous reporting.