All 21 children found in a home in Arcadia, California, were placed under protective care, while the married couple who owned the home, Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, were arrested Tuesday over allegations of child mistreatment and severe physical abuse.
Zhang and Xuan were taken into custody after a search warrant was executed at the home, located about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. When brought before a court, they denied all the charges against them and maintained that they were innocent.
Prosecutors allege violence against at least 15 children
Prosecutors alleged that multiple caregivers living in the couple’s home carried out violent attacks against at least 15 children. Fourteen of those children were born through surrogacy, officials said.
Investigators alleged that the couple misled some surrogate mothers and that the children were later subjected to violent forms of punishment. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman also said the alleged mistreatment took place on the couple’s property.
Contact with children prohibited
All of the children were placed in the care of child welfare authorities. The judge set bail at $20 million each for Zhang and Xuan, subject to home detention, and issued protective orders prohibiting them from contacting the children.
Charges against the couple
Both suspects face charges of conspiring to commit child abuse and dissuading a witness. Xuan also faces one count of child abuse, a charge of being an accessory after the fact and charges of dissuading five separate witnesses.
Zhang faces charges of being an accessory after the fact and dissuading four separate witnesses. A hearing to reconsider bail was scheduled for Monday.
