ARCADIA, Calif. — A California couple accused of using a surrogacy business to amass at least 21 children — then ordering nannies to routinely beat the babies and toddlers in their mansion — have been arrested on child abuse charges that the Los Angeles County district attorney called a “house of horrors.”
TL;DR: Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were arrested Oct. 6, 2026, in Arcadia on charges including child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact, and dissuading a witness. Prosecutors allege the former owners of the Mark Surrogacy company had at least 21 children via surrogates — ages 2 months to 13 years — and ordered nannies to beat them with shoes and wooden sticks. Both pleaded not guilty; prosecutors are seeking $100 million bail.
21 children, one mansion
Authorities say Xuan and Zhang, the former owners of the Mark Surrogacy company, used a surrogacy scheme to have at least 21 children, ranging in age from 2 months to 13 years, with most between 1 and 3 years old, CNN reported. Fifteen of the children were being kept in the couple’s 10,287-square-foot mansion in Arcadia, an affluent suburb northeast of Los Angeles.
Allegations of systematic beatings
Prosecutors allege the couple ordered multiple nannies to routinely beat the children with shoes and wooden sticks — sometimes watching and laughing as it happened. The allegations describe a pattern of abuse directed at babies and toddlers too young to defend themselves or report what was happening.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the home “a house of horrors” at a press conference Tuesday.
Arrest, charges, and $100 million bail
Xuan and Zhang were arrested early Tuesday, Oct. 6. They face charges of child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact, and dissuading a witness. Both pleaded not guilty at their arraignment in Pasadena on Tuesday.
Prosecutors are seeking $100 million bail — an extraordinary figure reflecting the number of alleged victims and the severity of the charges.
The case raises urgent questions about oversight of the surrogacy industry: how a single couple could commission more than 20 children through surrogates, and what safeguards — if any — flagged the situation before this week’s arrests.
Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The children’s welfare is now in the hands of child protective authorities.
Sources: CNN; Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office; UPI.
Featured photo: Los Angeles County, California. (Image via dfpi.ca.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang?
Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, are an Arcadia, California, couple and former owners of the Mark Surrogacy company, arrested Oct. 6, 2026, on child abuse and conspiracy charges involving at least 21 children.
What are they accused of?
Prosecutors allege the couple had at least 21 children via surrogates and ordered nannies to routinely beat the babies and toddlers with shoes and wooden sticks, sometimes watching and laughing. They face charges of child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact, and dissuading a witness.
How many children were involved?
Authorities say at least 21 children, ages 2 months to 13 years — most between 1 and 3 — with 15 of them living in the couple’s Arcadia mansion.
What did the DA call the case?
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the couple’s home “a house of horrors” at a Tuesday press conference.
What is the bail amount?
Prosecutors are seeking $100 million bail for the couple.
Have they entered pleas?
Yes. Both pleaded not guilty at their arraignment in Pasadena on Tuesday, Oct. 6. They are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Where are the children now?
Authorities have not publicly detailed the children’s placements, but cases like this place the minors under the care of child protective authorities.
