California Couple Accused of Keeping 21 Children in 'House of Horrors'

Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, are accused of operating a "house of horrors" at their $4 million Arcadia mansion, where prosecutors allege child abuse stemming from a mass surrogacy operation involving 21 children. New details revealed in court on Friday described children who were kept isolated from the outside world, restricted from sunlight, and subjected to violence.

At a bail hearing, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney MacKenzie Teymouri stated that the couple prevented the children from attending school or visiting public places like playgrounds and restaurants. "They lived in this home and witnessed violence in the kitchen, in the bathrooms, in the bedrooms, in the foyer," Teymouri said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Prosecutors also revealed that the cremated remains of a surrogate child who died in Florida were sent to the house, but the couple allegedly never opened the box and appeared indifferent to the child's fate.

The children reportedly spent their days in "makeshift classrooms" from dawn until dusk, learning subjects such as math, Mandarin, and English. Teymouri detailed that children were allegedly beaten if they did not sit up straight or listen. When the Department of Children and Family Services took custody of the children last year, many were reportedly too scared to go to the park because they had not been outdoors.

Video evidence presented reportedly showed Xuan sweeping a flashlight through the beds of sleeping children and beating any child found awake. Teymouri noted that the audio from some video footage contained the "constant screaming" of children due to persistent beatings.

Xuan faces charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, child abuse, and accessory after the fact, along with five counts of dissuading a witness. Zhang is charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and accessory after the fact, along with four counts of dissuading a witness.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Caroline Lugo set bail at $20 million for both defendants, citing them as flight risks. Prosecutors noted that their nanny, Chunmei Li, allegedly fled to China with the couple's assistance. Li had been previously charged with child abuse for allegedly causing brain bleeding in a child.

Xuan's attorney, Mitchell Krems, argued that his client was a victim of anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S. and blamed nannies for any abuse. He also cited Xuan's deteriorating health due to leukemia treatments that have left him wheelchair-bound. Zhang's attorney contended that the high bail was unnecessary, pointing to the children's alleged well-nourished state and access to education within the home, stating, "These kids, there was no cigarette burn marks. There was no cages. There was no dog collars. There was no abuse by belts."