Wife had worked with victim

A love triangle involving a couple who got married in Singapore ended in murder in broad daylight in the US.

Suspecting that his wife was having an affair with a dentist, Sun Hongli, 38, allegedly decided to take matters into his own hands.

On Saturday, he drove his white Mercedes sports utility vehicle (SUV) to an open-air carpark next to the building where Dr Liu Xuan, 54, had his dental practice in the city of Irvine in Orange County, California.

A press statement from the office of the Orange County District Attorney said that when Sun saw Dr Liu walking out with a woman at about 1.20pm, he rammed his SUV into the dentist, knocking him down.

The SUV then crashed into a concrete wall of the building, knocking off a huge chunk.

As Dr Liu tried to get up, Sun got out of the SUV and stabbed him with a knife, Orange County police said.

When Dr Liu's female companion tried to intervene, Sun stabbed her as well.

Witnesses called emergency services and the Orange County Fire Authority immediately responded.

The woman, who was not identified by the authorities, was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. Her relationship with Dr Liu is not known.

According to a Coroner's Office release, Dr Liu died at the scene at 1.32pm.

Sun was arrested at the carpark and told police that he suspected his wife of having an affair with Dr Liu, whom she used to work with.

On Tuesday, he was charged in the Orange County Superior Court with one count of special circumstances murder by lying in wait, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and sentencing enhancements for causing great bodily injury and the personal use of a deadly weapon.

If convicted, he could face the death penalty. The minimum sentence is life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Local media reports said both Sun and Dr Liu went through divorce proceedings last year.

According to City News Service, divorce documents show that Sun and his wife, Madam Chen Huaying, were married in Singapore in 2003.

It is unclear if they are Singaporeans. They separated on Sept 16 last year and in the divorce proceedings, Madam Chen listed Dr Liu as her boyfriend.

Court documents show that Sun was an engineer with hard drive manufacturer Western Digital, reported the Daily Pilot.

After being granted the divorce last Nov 5, the couple, who have an eight-year-old son, reconciled and applied to have it rescinded in the same month.

A court filing by them read: "At the time our Judgment of Dissolution was entered, we each believed irreconcilable differences caused the irremediable breakdown of our marriage. However, we were both mistaken...

"For a host of personal, cultural, and religious reasons, we do not want any public record to reflect that we are divorced.

"Even if such record is later changed, a harmful stigma could result. Therefore, it is imperative to us that this stipulation and order be entered today."

The divorce was vacated on April 24 this year.

Dr Liu's wife, who also worked in a dentist's office, filed for divorce on Sept 30 last year, citing irreconcilable differences.

It was finalised this year, reported the Daily Pilot.

They were married in China 27 years ago and have a 13-year-old son, according to documents.

This article was first published on July 23, 2015.
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