LOS ANGELES — A California couple at the center of a sprawling surrogacy investigation has been arrested on child-abuse-related charges after authorities said they uncovered evidence of alleged abuse involving children living at their Arcadia home.
Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were taken into custody Tuesday following a yearlong investigation that began after a two-month-old child was hospitalized with a serious head injury in 2025. Authorities subsequently removed 15 children from the couple’s home, while six others were located elsewhere, bringing the number of children connected to the case to at least 21.
Prosecutors allege that most of the children were born through surrogacy and that the couple operated a surrogacy business while recruiting women across the United States. Investigators are examining whether some prospective surrogates were given misleading information about the couple’s family circumstances and intentions.
The investigation also uncovered an extensive surveillance system inside the Arcadia mansion. Prosecutors allege that nannies subjected children to repeated physical punishment and that the couple knew about, monitored or participated in some of the alleged conduct. Authorities described the residence as a “house of horrors.”
The case first came to light after medical personnel alerted authorities about the injured infant. A nanny identified by investigators as Chunmei Li was subsequently sought in connection with the incident and remains at large, according to authorities.
The couple has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. Xuan’s attorney has argued that his client is innocent and that the abuse allegations should be attributed to the nanny who allegedly fled.
Prosecutors initially sought extremely high bail, citing the seriousness of the charges and concerns about the couple’s wealth and potential flight risk. Following their arraignment, bail was set at $20 million each.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the couple’s surrogacy operation, the circumstances surrounding the children’s parentage and the reasons behind the unusually large number of children connected to the family.
The case has also raised broader questions about protections for children born through surrogacy and safeguards for women participating in surrogacy arrangements.
What investigators ultimately uncover about the couple’s surrogacy network could determine how much larger this case becomes.
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