A surrogate mother was shocked to find out that she gave birth to a child who went to a couple that had 21 children, who were taken into custody following a child endangerment investigation.
Kayla Elliott initially believed she was helping a family in Southern California who was having trouble conceiving a baby. Instead, she found herself in the middle of a web of lies that led law enforcement to the discovery of nearly two dozen kids who were all born to different surrogate mothers.
Child Endangerment Investigation
The couple was identified as Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, who lived in Arcadia in northeast Los Angeles. Police arrested the suspects in May on suspicion of felony child endangerment and neglect.
The arrest came after a local hospital called police to report a two-month-old baby who arrived with head injuries. Authorities added that a nanny who worked for the couple was believed to have violently shaken the child until it lost consciousness, according to NBC News.
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Police also said that the parents of the child were aware of the abuse the child was experiencing but failed to seek timely medical assistance. Authorities added that a warrant has already been issued for the nanny, but they have not been able to locate her yet.
On Wednesday, Elliott said that she was in awe after learning about the situation of the child she bore for the couple. The surrogacy agency, Mark Surrogacy Investment LLC, told her that the couple were parents to a teenager but had trouble conceiving a second child despite several fertility treatments.
Child Abuse
The 21 children that were taken into custody range in age from two months to 13 years, with the majority being in the one to three-year range. Arcadia police Lt. Kollin Cieadlo said they believe one or two of the kids were born biologically to the mother, ABC News reported.
Cieadlo added that the neglect charges against the couple were not formally pursued in order to continue an investigation into the case. The suspects allegedly told officials that they "wanted a large family."
Zhang also produced what looked to be legitimate birth certificates, including some from outside California, that list her as the mother of the kids. Cieadlo said that the FBI was also involved in the investigation.
The FBI is responsible for figuring out where the children actually came from, but the agency refused to provide details about the case. Elliot said that the situation was "horrific" and "disturbing," adding that it is "damaging emotionally," as per ABC7.
