Surrogacy scandal: Woman wants baby back from California couple

(NewsNation) — A Texas pistillate is seeking custody of a babe she carried arsenic a surrogate aft California authorities removed 21 children from a mates accused of moving a massive surrogacy scam.

Kayla Elliott gave commencement to the child successful March for 38-year-old Silvia Zhang and her 65-year-old hubby Guojun Xuan, some of Chinese descent. Elliott present believes she was deceived and wants the babe back.

"I decidedly deliberation there's immoderate benignant of trafficking going on. Nobody successful their close caput wants 21 children, and particularly each astatine 1 time," Elliott told NewsNation’s “CUOMO.” "It decidedly seems similar thing precise fishy is going on."

The mates was arrested successful May aft constabulary investigated suspected kid maltreatment involving a 2-month-old. Officers recovered 15 children surviving successful the location and discovered six much staying with friends of the parents. All 21 children, ranging from 2 months to 13 years old, were removed and placed successful foster care.

Authorities accidental 17 of the children were younger than 3 years old, and astir were calved utilizing gestational surrogates who had nary familial nexus to the embryos they carried. The mates allegedly told surrogates they wanted a 2nd kid aft failed IVF attempts.

Police besides discovered surveillance footage showing a nanny violently shaking a babe who was hospitalized 2 days later. The nanny is present connected the run.

Arcadia, California, constabulary allege that 56-year-old Chunmei Li was captured connected location information video violently shaking the baby.

The probe began erstwhile a hospital contacted police astir suspected maltreatment of the 2-month-old. When officers arrived astatine the home, they recovered what has been described arsenic a hotel-like setup with a clerk astatine the beforehand desk.

Elliott said she was contacted done Facebook Messenger by "Mark Surrogacy" successful January 2024 aft posting successful a surrogate group. When she met the intended begetter for the embryo transfer, helium spoke lone Mandarin and required a translator.

"The full concern was odd," Elliott said astir gathering Zhang. "She did not look successful immoderate mode loving towards the baby. She hardly adjacent held the baby."

Elliott faces ineligible challenges successful her custody conflict due to the fact that she lives successful Texas portion the lawsuit proceeds successful California. The couple's proceedings is scheduled for September.

“I person talked to a fewer attorneys, and it seems similar everyone's a small spot stumped arsenic to however to spell astir this. They haven't technically afloat mislaid their custodial rights,” Elliot said.

Elliot is waiting for the intended parents' transgression proceedings to conclude: “Once that happens, we mightiness person a bully accidental of maine being capable to summation guardianship of the child.”

Tracy Walder, a retired CIA serviceman and FBI peculiar agent, said the lawsuit resembles "birth tourism" schemes involving Chinese nationals.

"I americium really horrified that these individuals were released based connected the scope and standard of what they're doing," Walder said.

The mates has denied wrongdoing, claiming they simply wanted a ample family. They were arrested connected neglect charges but released arsenic investigators proceed gathering their case.

More mothers travel guardant successful California case

Surrogate moms from Texas to Florida thought they were carrying a baby for the mates struggling to person a 2nd kid owed to infertility. Then, 1 pistillate discovered they were each surrogates for the aforesaid couple, immoderate astatine the aforesaid time, with the babies present successful foster care.

NewsNation section affiliate KTLA spoke with 3 different women who accidental they were besides surrogates for the aforesaid Arcadia mates — 1 who delivered successful Florida successful June; tragically, that babe was stillborn.

A Florida surrogate parent said she felt disregarded and fundamentally discarded aft the kid she carried for a California mates did not survive.

“I deliberation what wounded maine the astir was that I consciousness similar the babe was abandoned — and I was too,” said Perla, 31, successful an interrogation with KTLA.

Two Los Angeles County surrogates accidental they besides carried for this couple, 1 who gave commencement successful March, different who had 2 babies: 1 successful 2022, different successful 2024. The women accidental they each worked with Mark Surrogacy.

Police said Zhang was capable to amusement that she is the ineligible ma connected each of their commencement certificates.

In caller months, Mark Surrogacy has filed paperwork to terminate the company, according to nationalist records.

But a surrogate successful Pennsylvania, who asked to stay anonymous owed to contractual restrictions, says she is presently large with a kid for Mark Surrogacy.

“We are carrying for Mark Surrogacy, and we are 26 weeks,” she told KTLA. “It truly deed hard erstwhile each of this came through.”

Via a substance connection from a telephone associated with Zhang, KTLA was told, “Any accusations of wrongdoing are misguided and wrong. We look guardant to vindicating immoderate specified claims astatine the due clip erstwhile and if immoderate actions are brought.”

Police besides said they person grounds of further maltreatment involving different nannies and program to contiguous their findings to the territory lawyer soon.

Elliot has started a GoFundMe campaign for ineligible fees truthful she tin effort to get custody of the kid she delivered and says she has been interviewed by the FBI.