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Published October 6, 2026 2:07 PM CDT
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Authorities at the home of an Arcadia couple who was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit child abuse after 21 surrogacy-born children were found under their care. / SkyFOX
A California couple is facing serious charges following a law enforcement investigation that uncovered more than 20 surrogate children living in their home.
Authorities intervened after a medical emergency involving an infant revealed a broader pattern of potential abuse and neglect inside the home.
What we know:
Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau arrested 65-year-old Guojon Xuan and his 38-year-old wife, Sylvia Zhang, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit child abuse.
The investigation originated when Zhang brought the couple's two-month-old son to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where medical staff discovered the infant had suffered a brain bleed and traumatic head injury.
Arcadia police served a search warrant at the couple's home in the 600 block of West Camino Real and seized surveillance camera footage. The video showed a nanny employed by the parents violently shaking and hitting the baby, causing the infant to lose consciousness. Police stated that despite knowing about the assault, the parents waited two days to seek medical attention, only bringing the child to the hospital after seizures began.
Following the initial response, the Department of Children and Family Services took protective custody of 15 children from the home, ranging in age from two months to 13 years old.
Six additional children had already been moved to other residences, bringing the total number of children under the couple's care to 21.
Arcadia police confirmed that all 21 children were born through surrogates before Xuan and Zhang assumed legal guardianship.
Officials reported that the children suffered severe verbal and physical discipline.
Public records indicate Zhang owns a surrogacy agency previously known as Mark Surrogacy, which now operates under the name Future Spring Surrogacy. A woman who carried one of the children revealed she conceived via in vitro fertilization and transferred custody through the agency, believing at the time that the couple had only one child.
Additionally, Xuan previously drew law enforcement scrutiny for owning an El Monte property allegedly utilized as a casino and an illegal psilocybin mushroom growing operation.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not established a clear motive explaining why the couple sought to house and maintain legal guardianship over such a large number of children.
It's unclear how long the suspected abuse had been occurring prior to the medical emergency in May 2025.
Officials have not disclosed the current legal status or precise whereabouts of the six children who were relocated outside the primary residence before protective custody was executed.
What they're saying:
Arcadia Police Department Lieutenant Kollin Cieadlo highlighted the delay in medical treatment following the assault on the infant.
Cieadlo stated that despite being made aware of the incident, the child's parents failed to seek timely medical attention, noting the child was not transported to the hospital until two days later after the onset of seizures.
Cieadlo also explained that the Department of Children and Family Services responded to the residence as a result of the investigation, resulting in the remaining children being taken into protective custody.
What's next:
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is scheduled to address the case during a news conference at 11 a.m.
Law enforcement agencies continue to search for the suspect identified as the nanny, who remains at large after fleeing to China.
The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services will oversee the placement, care, and ongoing evaluation of the 21 children involved in the case.
The Source: This report is compiled directly from official statements provided by the Arcadia Police Department and spokeswoman Nicole Nishida of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. City News Service contributed.
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