Couple Arrested in Surrogacy Child Abuse Scandal

Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, a California couple, were arrested on October 6, 2026, facing multiple charges including conspiracy to commit child abuse and dissuading a witness. This development follows a July 2025 raid on their Arcadia residence, where 21 children, many of whom were surrogate-born, were taken into state custody. The Los Angeles District Attorney is seeking $100 million bail for the couple.

The investigation commenced in May 2025 when Zhang brought a 2-month-old infant to the hospital with a head injury, reportedly providing untruthful information about the incident. Authorities discovered what they described as a "house of horrors," including "learning centers" where children were seated for hours daily and subjected to abuse by nannies.

Video footage from 32 motion-activated cameras reportedly shows nannies spanking, slapping, or hitting the children. One nanny, Chunxi Li, is accused of striking the infant in the head, and a warrant for her arrest has been issued, though she remains at large. The defense claims the husband is innocent and being targeted for exercising his right to a large family, attributing blame to the nanny.

Attorneys for surrogates involved have expressed relief that individuals will be held accountable but emphasized the need for protections within the surrogacy system to prevent misuse. The FBI also served a search warrant at the residence as part of the ongoing investigation, with authorities vowing to pursue justice for all 21 children.