A Nevada-based surrogate mom thought she was serving to a Chinese language couple “eager for a miracle child,” when she delivered a toddler for them.
Now she’s one in all quite a lot of surrogates preventing for solutions after 21 kids had been faraway from the care of Guojun Xuan, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38, in Arcadia, California, final yr.
Tronderrica James, 30, says she was aggressively pursued by “Jasmine,” a consultant for the couple who approached her by a Fb surrogacy group, in a lawsuit.
Her go well with claims she was given deceptive and false details about the household and their intentions.
“What you probably did… is foul, reckless and merciless,” she alleged of Xuan and Zhang in an August 2025 e mail, court docket data obtained by The Publish present. “Inform me the reality about what occurred to the child I carried — the child you named Poppy.”
James’ story mirrors that of others who say they had been duped by the pair after being contacted by a consultant from Mark Surrogacy or Future Spring Surrogacy over Fb.
They had been informed they’d be carrying a toddler for a Chinese language couple in Los Angeles who had both one or no kids. They had been additionally informed there was a “language barrier” stopping them talking immediately with them, in accordance with James’ lawsuit.
None had been made conscious that each surrogacy businesses had been truly managed by Xuan and Zhang.
The single couple had been arrested on suspicion of kid abuse and neglect final Could and are presently out on bond, an Arcadia Police spokesperson informed The Publish.
They continue to be the topic of a state baby abuse investigation, however no legal expenses have been filed.
Within the final six months, 5 extra surrogate-born infants for the couple have been born in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Georgia, in accordance with experiences seen by The Publish.
The alarm had been raised when Xuan and Zhang’s two-month-old son sustained traumatic accidents which hospital workers suspected had been baby abuse.
Disturbing photos of the little boy seen by The Publish present him sporting a head and neck brace within the ICU after he was admitted to the hospital “shaking and vomiting,” in accordance with court docket data.
The accidents had been later attributed to a nanny shaking him, which authorities say they noticed on safety digital camera, in accordance with an NBC report. Police say an arrest report for the nanny, Chunmei Li, in reference to alleged abuse has since been issued.
Contained in the nine-bedroom Arcadia dwelling, additionally raided in Could, police discovered 15 kids below the age of three. One other six of the couple’s youngsters had been later positioned in close by properties with buddies or household.
Xuan and Zhang say they’re dad and mom to the entire kids and that they only desire a huge household. They’re battling to regain custody of them by courts in 4 states.
The couple, each born in China, are believed to have had one baby collectively naturally, and Xuan is claimed to be the organic father of a 13-year-old daughter, in accordance with NBC.
Now a few of the outraged surrogate moms are pushing to get custody of the infants they carried.
Amongst them is Hallie Weaver, 30, who realized of the legal investigations into Xuan and Zhang by an e mail from her surrogacy legal professional in July final yr.
The Georgia resident had undergone an “embryo switch” utilizing a fertilized egg she was informed was from Zhang. She was weeks from giving delivery when she heard concerning the investigations into the couple.
“Their entire profile was a lie,” she informed Courthouse Information, including that she is preventing to undertake the child boy she gave delivery to final August.
The authorized standing of the child, whom she has named Gabriel, stays in limbo. As is the case with Xuan and Zhang’s different kids, the state claims custody.
In the meantime, Xuan and Zhang filed lawsuits towards surrogates Melissa Epps and Stacy King, each in Virginia, after the ladies lower off contact earlier than giving delivery final fall.
The fits declare breach of contract and demand custody of the newborns plus $1 million from every lady, who had initially agreed to contracts of $70,000 and $45,000 plus bills, in accordance with CBS Information.
Xuan and Zhang couldn’t be reached for remark. They’ve denied any wrongdoing in court docket papers. Lei Bai, a lawyer who drafted contracts for the pair, declined to debate the matter, a spokeswoman at her regulation workplace informed The Publish.
James and her husband, Travis, who reside in Nevada with their younger son, are looking for punitive damages as much as $100 million, in accordance with their lawsuit — alleging fraud, breach of contract and emotional misery.
It’s not clear when James delivered a child for Xuan and Zhang, however the court docket submitting reveals she signed a surrogacy settlement in 2024.
“You gambled with my life. You gambled with the life of a kid. You misled me, misrepresented your function, and will have damaged a number of state and federal legal guidelines within the course of … ” James wrote in an August 2025 e mail to Zhang and Xuan, in accordance with the court docket submitting.
“You exploited my belief, my physique and my motherhood.”
James declined remark, citing pending authorized issues.
One other surrogate, Kayla Elliott, gave delivery to one in all Xuan and Zhang’s infants in March final yr and likewise desires custody of the kid, who’s in state care, in accordance with NBC Information.
“I positively assume there’s some sort of trafficking occurring. No person of their proper thoughts desires 21 kids, and particularly all at one time,” Elliott informed NewsNation’s “Cuomo.”
Elliot’s child was born shortly earlier than the police raid on Xuan and Zhang’s dwelling, which uncovered many disturbing particulars.
Surveillance footage from contained in the Arcadia mansion confirmed toddlers being spanked and slapped by nannies, in accordance with the police affidavit.
Authorities consider Zhang and Xuan had been conscious of the “bodily and emotional abuse” the youthful kids had been subjected to and “let it occur.”
Arcadia police earlier stated the FBI is concerned within the investigation over whether or not the couple misled surrogates across the nation. The FBI has not confirmed its involvement within the case.
The investigation is reportedly focusing, in accordance with the Wall Road Journal, on whether or not the couple had been promoting infants.
Zhang denied that in an interview with the outlet. “We by no means promote our infants,” she stated. “We handle them very nicely.”
