ARCADIA, CA – A couple running a “surrogacy business” out of an affluent Arcadia neighborhood are facing charges of child abuse and neglect, with authorities reportedly taking 21 children linked to the investigation into protective custody.
This past May, Arcadia Police arrested 38-year-old Silvia Zhang and 65-year-old Guojun Xuan under suspicion of child abuse and neglect after their two-month-old suffered a severe head injury while in the care of the couple’s nanny, identified as 56-year-old Chunmei Li.
While the whereabouts of the nanny Li are currently unknown to police, the incident has led authorities down a proverbial winding path over what they’ve described as a “surrogacy business” ran by the couple which is raising red flags.
A total of 21 children were taken into custody by the respective child-welfare agency following Zhang and Xuan’s arrest, 15 of whom were located inside the couple’s home which were aged between 2 months and 13 years, according to Arcadia Police Lt. Kollin Cieadlo, with an additional six found in other homes seemingly linked to the suspects.
Lt. Cieadlo believes a majority of the children recovered stemmed from the surrogacy operation, stating, “We believe one or two were born biologically to the [Zhang]. There are some surrogates who have come forward and said they were surrogates for the children.”
A May 7th hospital admission of the couple’s 2-month-old to an area hospital was what kicked off the investigation, as doctors discovered the child had suffered a traumatic head injury and intracranial bleeding.
It was later learned by authorities that the child had sustained the injuries two days earlier on May 5th, with authorities saying surveillance footage depicts the nanny Li “violently” shaking and hitting the child.
With the children associated with the investigation now safely in custody, local authorities and the FBI are looking into the surrogacy company associated with the couple.
Business records tied to the suspects’ home address detailed an LLC dubbed Mark Surrogacy Investment, with the business license having been terminated this past June.
Investigators are now trying to determine whether there was any deception employed by the suspects with regard to the surrogates who gave birth to the children residing in the family’s home.
However, authorities aren’t certain what, if any, illegalities may be tied to any potential deception used during the surrogacy process, with Lt. Cieadlo saying, “I'm not familiar with how the surrogacy laws work. We need to do a much deeper dive.”
The Arcadia Police lieutenant emphasized the complexity of this case, saying, “We handle child abuse cases regularly but this, with the sheer volume and the number of children present, it is definitely a unique situation that is an in-depth and involved case that's going to take some time to get to the bottom of.”
Zhang and Xuan have since been released on bond. An active arrest warrant is out for the family nanny, Li.
This past May, Arcadia Police arrested 38-year-old Silvia Zhang and 65-year-old Guojun Xuan under suspicion of child abuse and neglect after their two-month-old suffered a severe head injury while in the care of the couple’s nanny, identified as 56-year-old Chunmei Li.
While the whereabouts of the nanny Li are currently unknown to police, the incident has led authorities down a proverbial winding path over what they’ve described as a “surrogacy business” ran by the couple which is raising red flags.
A total of 21 children were taken into custody by the respective child-welfare agency following Zhang and Xuan’s arrest, 15 of whom were located inside the couple’s home which were aged between 2 months and 13 years, according to Arcadia Police Lt. Kollin Cieadlo, with an additional six found in other homes seemingly linked to the suspects.
Lt. Cieadlo believes a majority of the children recovered stemmed from the surrogacy operation, stating, “We believe one or two were born biologically to the [Zhang]. There are some surrogates who have come forward and said they were surrogates for the children.”
A May 7th hospital admission of the couple’s 2-month-old to an area hospital was what kicked off the investigation, as doctors discovered the child had suffered a traumatic head injury and intracranial bleeding.
It was later learned by authorities that the child had sustained the injuries two days earlier on May 5th, with authorities saying surveillance footage depicts the nanny Li “violently” shaking and hitting the child.
With the children associated with the investigation now safely in custody, local authorities and the FBI are looking into the surrogacy company associated with the couple.
Business records tied to the suspects’ home address detailed an LLC dubbed Mark Surrogacy Investment, with the business license having been terminated this past June.
Investigators are now trying to determine whether there was any deception employed by the suspects with regard to the surrogates who gave birth to the children residing in the family’s home.
However, authorities aren’t certain what, if any, illegalities may be tied to any potential deception used during the surrogacy process, with Lt. Cieadlo saying, “I'm not familiar with how the surrogacy laws work. We need to do a much deeper dive.”
The Arcadia Police lieutenant emphasized the complexity of this case, saying, “We handle child abuse cases regularly but this, with the sheer volume and the number of children present, it is definitely a unique situation that is an in-depth and involved case that's going to take some time to get to the bottom of.”
Zhang and Xuan have since been released on bond. An active arrest warrant is out for the family nanny, Li.
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