A California couple is facing serious felony charges after authorities accused them of abusing at least 14 children born through surrogacy inside their multimillion-dollar mansion in Arcadia. Some of the alleged victims were as young as 2 months old.
Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were each charged with conspiracy to commit child abuse. Xuan additionally faces one felony count of child abuse, one felony count of being an accessory after the fact and five felony counts of dissuading a witness. Zhang was also charged with accessory after the fact and four counts of dissuading a witness. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.
“The number of children who were subjected to this alleged horrific abuse is unprecedented,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
“The alleged corporal abuse of these children is appalling and revolting, especially at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them.”
Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang appeared for arraignment Tuesday in Pasadena, California, on charges tied to the alleged abuse of at least 14 surrogate-born children at their Arcadia residence. The alleged victims included children as young as 2 months old. (Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The investigation began in May 2025, after Zhang took her 2-month-old infant to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with a traumatic head injury and severe bleeding in the brain, affiliate FOX 11 Los Angeles reported. Medical personnel concluded that a nanny, Chunmei Li, had violently shaken and struck the infant, according to the report.
Prosecutors allege that Xuan and Zhang waited two days before seeking treatment, taking the child to the hospital only after seizures began. The couple allegedly told authorities that the infant had fallen from a bed.
Police later recovered security video from the couple’s $10 million home that prosecutors say documented widespread and systematic abuse involving 14 surrogate-born children. The children ranged in age from 2 months to 13 years, with most between 1 and 3 years old.
Six more children connected to the couple were eventually found living elsewhere, raising the total number of children affected to 21.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman speaks at a news conference alongside Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. (KTTV)
Investigators found three “learning centers” inside the mansion, where toddlers were allegedly made to remain seated at desks for hours. Prosecutors also said nannies were directed to use disciplinary methods intended to avoid leaving visible injuries.
According to FOX 11, prosecutors allege that Xuan and Zhang monitored the nannies and instructed them to beat the children daily with sticks concealed around the house. The children were also allegedly coached to deny that they had been hit.
NEXT UP: UMD Police Seek Help Finding Missing Student Dilan Shaan Ashar
In one alleged incident, Xuan told a nanny who was hitting a child to strike harder before taking part in the assault himself. Prosecutors say he slapped the child’s head, struck the child’s bare buttocks and lifted the child by one arm while continuing to hit the child. In another case, a boy was allegedly forced to perform repeated squats or remain in a “horse stance” for hours as punishment.
The couple ran Future Spring Surrogacy from the Arcadia home, recruiting women to serve as surrogates and paying tens of thousands of dollars for pregnancies. One surrogate was paid $135,000, while prosecutors said many others were recruited through misleading claims.
American flags fly outside Arcadia City Hall in Arcadia, Calif., May 13, 2026. Investigators searching the home found between $8 million and $9 million worth of liquor. (Getty Images)
At least eight surrogates told investigators they had encountered aggressive behavior and false statements about the family’s home and living conditions.
Authorities also found evidence of the couple’s substantial financial assets. Xuan allegedly controlled more than 200 bank accounts, kept large amounts of cash to pay nannies and possessed passports from several countries, including Mexico.
Investigators further reported finding liquor valued at between $8 million and $9 million inside the mansion.
Authorities are now trying to identify the biological and social parents of all 21 children. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has taken custody of them and will oversee their long-term medical treatment, psychological assessments and legal placements.
“This was not a home where these children were loved and nurtured,” Hochman said. “This was a home where these young children were systematically beaten and punished if they did not do what they were told. These alleged abusers will now face the full force of the law as we hold them accountable for their despicable actions.”
The discovery was made after a child was brought to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for treatment. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong/File)
Nanny Chunmei Li was charged with child abuse causing great bodily injury or death; authorities said she has since fled to China.
Beyond the child abuse allegations, law enforcement is probing Xuan’s past, including his connection to a property previously linked to an illegal casino and a psilocybin mushroom growing operation.
News Outlet reached out to attorneys for Xuan and Zhang for comment. It remains unclear how long the alleged abuse had been occurring prior to May 2025.
