A California couple was arrested on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, on child abuse charges following an investigation into a surrogacy operation involving at least 21 children. Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, face multiple counts including child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact, and dissuading a witness, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
The investigation began in May 2025 after a hospital reported a 2-month-old infant had suffered a traumatic head injury. Arcadia police stated at the time that the injury resulted from a nanny violently shaking the baby. While the couple was initially arrested in May 2025, charges were not filed then as police continued their investigation. In July 2025, authorities removed 15 children from the couple's home in Arcadia and located six others living elsewhere.
The children ranged in age from 2 months to 13 years, though most were between ages 1 and 3. Prosecutors allege the couple operated a surrogacy agency from their home to hire surrogates across the United States. Police believe Zhang gave birth to one or two of the children, while the others were delivered by surrogates. Surveillance footage from the home allegedly showed nannies subjected the children to daily beatings in rooms the couple called "learning centers."
District Attorney Hochman stated that Xuan was filmed instructing a nanny to strike a child harder and, in one instance, joined the nanny in hitting a child. The nannies were reportedly told not to leave physical marks, and the couple allegedly instructed the children to deny being beaten when police arrived in 2025. Mitchell Krems, an attorney for Xuan, previously stated that his client's goal was to raise educated children who would contribute to society as professionals and researchers.
The case involves a $100 million bail request for the two defendants and potential prison sentences of more than 17 years for at least one defendant if convicted. One surrogate, Kayla Elliott, is seeking legal custody of a child she birthed for the couple.
The case highlights the regulatory environment of surrogacy in California, which requires written contracts and legal representation for both parties but lacks comprehensive federal oversight. For the surrogates involved, claims include being provided misleading information about the couple's intentions and household conditions.
The next steps in the legal process include the arraignment of Xuan and Zhang, which was scheduled for Tuesday at the Pasadena courthouse. Investigators are continuing to determine the parentage of each child and are searching for Chunmei Li, a nanny facing an arrest warrant for her alleged role in the injury of the 2-month-old infant. The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department conducted separate searches.