Recently, the affluent Chinese city of Arcadia in Southern California shocked society with a disturbing child abuse case: 21 children were discovered living in a luxury mansion worth about $4 million, all born to different surrogate mothers but legally under the guardianship of a Chinese “couple”. The man was identified as Guojun Xuan, a prominent pro-Communist leader in the local Chinese community and chairman of the Xinjiang Chamber of Commerce.
According to the Arcadia City Police Department, all 21 children are confirmed to be the “legal” offspring of 65-year-old Guojun Xuan and 38-year-old Silvia Zhang. The couple was arrested on charges related to endangering the safety of children, with a bail set at $500,000 each, and they have since been released.
Currently, all 21 children are under the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Officer Kollin Cieadlo of the Arcadia Police Department informed reporters on July 16 that most of these children are infants and toddlers aged between 1 and 3 years old. Based on the children’s birth dates and other objective facts, “we do not believe that she (Silvia Zhang) personally gave birth to all the children, surrogate mothers were involved, and we are investigating,” said Cieadlo.
He also mentioned that these surrogate mothers come from different ethnic backgrounds and not limited to California, “they searched for surrogate mothers all over the country.” Preliminary investigations by the police have identified these children as originating from a surrogacy agency operated by Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan.
Public records show that the now-defunct surrogacy agency, Mark Surrogacy, had the same registered address as 38-year-old Silvia Zhang. However, in recent months, the company has filed for dissolution.
Cieadlo further revealed that Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang claim to be a married couple, but the police have not obtained documents proving the legality of their marriage. Furthermore, the prime suspect of child abuse, 56-year-old nanny Chunmei Li, remains at large.
On May 7, the Arcadia Police Department received a report from a local hospital regarding a suspected child abuse case: a two-month-old infant was rushed to the hospital due to severe head injuries leading to intracranial bleeding.
Upon receiving the notification, the police immediately began an investigation and executed a search warrant at a residence on W Camino Real Ave in Arcadia. After searching the house and obtaining surveillance footage, the police uncovered alarming scenes: on May 5, the infant lost consciousness due to the severe shaking and beating by the nanny, Chunmei Li. Despite the legal guardians, Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, being aware of the incident, they failed to seek timely medical attention for the child. It was not until two days later that the child had a seizure and was taken to the hospital.
Subsequently, the police arrested the couple on relevant charges and issued a warrant for the still missing Chunmei Li.
Cieadlo noted, “After communicating with the local prosecutor’s office, we decided to release the parents to continue the investigation, including reviewing surveillance footage and other evidence.”
He also disclosed a peculiar observation, “When we went to the residence on the evening of May 7, we found 15 children along with some adult nannies and the parents.” He added, “We noticed that most children had the same short haircuts and were dressed similarly. Regardless of gender, they all looked very alike.”
Many individuals and organizations online have raised concerns about the behavior of this Chinese couple, suggesting possible involvement in “human trafficking, child trafficking.” Cieadlo stated, “The father told us they simply wanted a large family and many children.” The true intentions behind their actions are one of the key focuses of the ongoing investigation by local law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Attorney Longzhu Liu, a Chinese lawyer in Southern California who has handled custody disputes for a mainland Chinese celebrity and specializes in legal issues related to giving birth in the US and surrogacy, explained that California has some of the most lenient surrogacy laws in the US, attracting many Chinese seeking surrogacy services.
“Guojun Xuan and his wife are charged under California Penal Code Section 273 for ‘endangering children’, which actually falls under negligent child care,” Liu stated, emphasizing the crux of the matter.
Video footage shows the nanny vigorously shaking a child, possibly while the child was crying. Liu explained that an infant’s brain is not fully developed and essentially fluid-filled, so such violent shaking can lead to brain trauma, potentially causing lifelong disabilities, mental impairment, or even death. “This is very serious,” he added.
Regarding the prosecution’s reasons for charging them, Liu believes, firstly, it depends on whether Guojun Xuan conducted a background check when hiring the nanny to see if she had experience caring for children or a history of misconduct, or if she was hired casually.
Secondly, the more critical reason for prosecution could be their delay in seeking medical treatment for the child, which may be due to having too many children to care for. While a family with one or two children might occasionally struggle to promptly seek medical care, having so many children together could inevitably lead to delays in medical attention.
“Standing from the prosecutor’s perspective, if they only had one or two caregivers, it might be overwhelming, threatening the safety of the children,” Liu explained.
Regarding the FBI’s involvement in the investigation, Liu speculated that it could be due to the case’s immigration implications and being a significant criminal case. Since Guojun Xuan and his wife were not born in the US, the case likely involves immigration issues.
At the age of 65, Guojun Xuan is an active pro-Communist leader in Southern California, frequently attending events of groups with Communist ties, where representatives of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles also participate. He has close ties with prominent pro-Communist figures like Zhang Sujui and Lu Qiang.
Guojun Xuan also holds titles such as President of the American Xinjiang Chamber of Commerce, Honorary President of the United Chinese Associations of Southern California, Committee Member of the United Chinese Societies of Southern California, and Chairman of the American South Overseas Director Board. The United Chinese Associations of Southern California was founded by Zhang Sujui.
According to an online biography, Guojun Xuan is a Communist Party member and entrepreneur, active in Urumqi since 1977, previously serving as a Urumqi People’s Congress representative, a member of the City People’s Congress Finance and Economic Committee, and Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Entrepreneurs Association.
However, this biography lacks a photo, but whether it is the name, birth year, business background, or close relationship with the Communist Party, it all aligns with the current Guojun Xuan residing in Southern California.