Arcadia Surrogacy Scandal: 21 kids found in home following child abuse arrest

21 endangered children removed from Arcadia home

DCFS took 21 children from a Arcadia home, after a 2-month-old boy was hospitalized, believed to be abused by their nanny. The parents, Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, were arrested and later released.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Two parents were arrested, and a nanny remains at large in a child abuse investigation in Arcadia, officials said. 

What we know:

Officers with the Arcadia Police Department were called to an area hospital after they received a report about a possible incident of child abuse on Wednesday, May 7.

Arriving officers discovered a two-month-old had been admitted with a traumatic head injury and intracranial bleeding. 

During the investigation, detectives served a search warrant at a home located in the 600 block of Camino Real Avenue, located near the intersection of Baldwin Avenue and Duarte Road. After reviewing surveillance footage, they observed the infant’s nanny shake and strike the infant on Monday, May 5. The violent incident caused the baby to lose consciousness. 

(Arcadia PD)

Officials said when the parents were made aware of the incident, they did not seek medical attention for the young child.

Two days later, the child was taken to the hospital where they experienced the onset of seizures. 

Arrests made:

On May 9, arrest warrants in the investigation were issued for: 

• 56-year-old Chunmei Li (nanny)
• 38-year-old Silvia Zhang (mother)
• 65-year-old Guojun Xuan (father)

Zhang and Xuan were taken into custody without incident for felony child endangerment/neglect. Their bail was set at $500,000 each. They have since been released, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department inmate records.

Li’s whereabouts remain unknown.  

Due to the nature of the investigation, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services was called in. 

Children taken into protective custody

Dig deeper:

After police responded to their house, they discovered nearly two dozen other kids in their care.

A total of 15 children ranging in age from two months to 13-years-old were taken into DCFS custody and six other children were moved to other homes, but all 21 were confirmed to be the children of Zhang and Xuan.

Investigators said they believe some of the children were birthed through surrogates, but the exact number is unclear. 

What you can do:

Those with information about this incident are asked to call Arcadia PD at 626-574-5168.

What they're saying:

"While we recognize the public’s interest in the details about the lives of children and families who come to our attention, DCFS is bound by state confidentiality laws that prevent the department from discussing potential involvement with families. These laws are in place to protect children and families from further emotional distress while delicate family matters are resolved," DCFS said in a statement. 

They added that anyone who suspects any case of child abuse and neglect can call the Child Protection Hotline at 800-540-4000.