George Huggins Charged with Murdering Jinghong Kang for $17, Could Face Death

By Joe Eskenazi Thu., Jul. 29 2010 at 7:59 AM

Categories: Crime

Oakland Police Department

George Huggins may face the death penalty if convicted of Jinghong Kang's killing

George Huggins -- the 24-year-old Oakland man accused of pulling the trigger in a murder that sickened the nation -- may face the death penalty if found guilty.

Huggiins, along with his 33-year-old girlfriend, Althea Housley, is charged with shooting visiting would-be Google engineer Jinghong Kang in Oakland on July 18, even after the father of three handed them all the money he had -- $17.

Kang, by the way, had been leaving a late-night teeth-cleaning he'd received from someone he met through his church. So, if you're adding it all up, you've got a god-fearing, harmless, married father-of-three tourist shot for a paltry sum of money. Shot three times, in fact. That probably won't appeal to a jury.

Neither will Huggins' background: He and Housley are also charged with a June robbery in downtown Oakland during which he allegedly shot and injured a man.

Oakland Police Department

This surveillance footage led to a pair of arrests in the killing of Jinghong Kang

The couple were arrested earlier this week after Housley was identified by tipsters in grainy surveillance footage released by police, and she spilled on her boyfriend. Police claim she told them the pair robbed and killed Kang.

Alameda County district attorneys will decide whether or not to seek the death penalty at a forthcoming preliminary hearing.

Follow us on Twitter at @TheSnitchSF and @SFWeekly