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Abuse charges for couple with 26 surrogate-born kids
4 Nov
Summary
- Couple charged with child abuse involving 26 surrogate-born children.
- Children allegedly endured severe punishment in an Arcadia mansion.
- One nanny is charged and has fled to China, authorities say.
Guojun Xuan, 67, and Silvia Zhang, 39, have been charged with multiple felonies, including conspiracy to commit child abuse, involving at least 14 children, with a total of 26 children born via surrogates. The pair allegedly operated a private surrogacy agency, paying women to carry children. Police raided their 10,287-sq.-ft. mansion in Arcadia, California, discovering classrooms where children were forced into long hours of disciplined activity and endured severe punishment.
Prosecutors describe the house as a "house of horrors," detailing how children were subjected to physical abuse. One nanny, Chunmei Li, 58, is also charged with felony child abuse and has fled to China. Xuan and Zhang, both U.S. citizens born in China, have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody with bail set at $20 million each.
An investigation revealed that California's Department of Children and Family Services had received multiple complaints about the home, yet no children were removed prior to a May 2025 incident where a two-month-old infant with head injuries was brought to a hospital. Surveillance footage allegedly shows nannies abusing children and Xuan striking a toddler.
