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California pair charged with abusing at least 14 surrogate-born children
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, a California couple, have been charged with multiple counts of abusing at least 14 surrogate-born children, some as young as two months old, and dissuading a witness.
- The couple allegedly subjected 15 of the 16 children living in their Arcadia mansion to repeated physical abuse, with authorities describing the home as a "house of horrors" monitored by 32 motion-activated cameras.
- They ran a surrogacy company and are accused of making false statements to surrogate mothers, who were reportedly unaware they were carrying embryos for the couple simultaneously.
- The investigation began after Zhang brought a two-month-old baby to the hospital with a head injury, leading to the removal of 21 children from their custody in July 2025.
- One nanny, Chunmei Li, is also charged with child abuse and is currently wanted by authorities; the couple's lawyer denies the allegations, claiming they are a mischaracterization of the evidence.
