California couple with 21 children, most born via surrogates, charged in ‘house of horrors’ abuse case
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California authorities have charged Silvia Zhang, 39, and Guojun Xuan, 65, with severe felony child endangerment, neglect, and conspiracy after removing 21 children from their care in Arcadia. Law enforcement executed initial raids following an unreported traumatic head injury suffered by a two-month-old infant in the home. Authorities located 15 children at the residence and six others elsewhere, ranging in age from two months to 13 years old. Prosecutors allege security video shows hired nannies physically abusing the children while the parents operated Mark Surrogacy Investment LLC to obtain children from surrogates nationwide. Surrogates alleged the couple deceived them regarding the scale of their child acquisitions. Defense attorneys denied direct abuse by the parents, blamed hired caregivers, and requested lower bail, currently set at $20 million each. State child protective services placed all 21 children in state custody while the FBI and local police continue investigating multi-state surrogacy operations.