Walnut Creek Double Murder Defendant Charged in 2024 LA County Murder Plot

L.A. man with criminal history also charged in the killing of victim tied to Walnut Creek case

Apr. 1, 2026 at 7:27am

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A Walnut Creek man already facing double murder charges in the 2025 killings of his wife and mother-in-law now faces an additional homicide charge for a separate 2024 killing in Los Angeles County tied to the Walnut Creek case. 43-year-old Howard Chen Hao Wang and 33-year-old Demarques James Pearl of Los Angeles have been charged in the murder of Chengli Li, who was the romantic partner of Wang's girlfriend.

Why it matters

The Los Angeles County murder of Li will be joined with the Walnut Creek double murders, indicating a broader criminal conspiracy and potential pattern of violence by the defendants. The case highlights the challenges of prosecuting complex, multi-jurisdictional crimes.

The details

Howard Wang and Demarques Pearl planned the murder of Li before travelling together from the Bay Area to Los Angeles County on June 7th, 2024. The following day, Li was shot and killed outside of his apartment in San Gabriel. Both Wang and Pearl were scheduled to be arraigned on the charges, but defense attorneys asked the court to reschedule the arraignments.

  • On June 7, 2024, Wang and Pearl traveled from the Bay Area to Los Angeles County.
  • On June 8, 2024, Li was shot and killed outside his apartment in San Gabriel.

The players

Howard Chen Hao Wang

A 43-year-old Walnut Creek man facing double murder charges in the 2025 killings of his wife and mother-in-law, and now an additional homicide charge for a separate 2024 killing in Los Angeles County.

Demarques James Pearl

A 33-year-old Los Angeles man who has been charged along with Wang in the 2024 murder of Chengli Li. Pearl has a criminal history including arrests for crimes such as inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, battery, and gun charges.

Chengli Li

A 41-year-old man who was the romantic partner of Wang's girlfriend, Yan Wang, and was shot and killed outside his apartment in San Gabriel, CA on June 8, 2024.

Yan Wang

A 45-year-old woman who is also a defendant in the Walnut Creek double murders.

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What they’re saying

“The Los Angeles County murder of Li will be joined with the Walnut Creek double murders to be prosecuted in Contra Costa County.”

— Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney's Office

What’s next

Both Wang and Pearl were scheduled to be arraigned on the charges, but defense attorneys asked the court to reschedule the arraignments. Pearl will be arraigned on April 1st and Wang on April 14th at 1:30 pm in Martinez.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges of prosecuting complex, multi-jurisdictional crimes involving alleged criminal conspiracies and patterns of violence. The joining of the Los Angeles and Walnut Creek cases indicates the prosecutors' efforts to build a comprehensive case against the defendants.