Published on: October 2, 2025, 03:49h.
Updated on: October 2, 2025, 03:50h.
- El Monte property investigated for illegal gambling, narcotics, and counterfeit cash
- Arcadia estate search reveals 15 minors with a monitoring system
- Prosecutors consider child abuse allegations as trafficking suspicions arise
A prominent real estate investor from Southern California, whose El Monte property has faced multiple police raids for illegal gambling and drug offenses, is now involved in a shocking child welfare investigation. Authorities discovered 15 children and signs of potential abuse at his mansion in Arcadia, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Law enforcement officials have identified Guojun Xuan, 65, as the owner of “Pacific Place,” a commercial property in El Monte that has come under repeated police examination. Numerous raids since 2021 have uncovered slot machines, cannabis and mushroom cultivation, counterfeit currency, and firearms.
Investigators have accused tenants, including a man known as Haoren “Dragon” Ma, of operating illicit gambling establishments and other illegal ventures. Recently, El Monte city officials initiated a civil abatement case, alleging that Xuan and his associates allowed a “sophisticated criminal enterprise” to thrive at the site, as reported by the Times.
Xuan is alleged to have shifted ownership of the property among various shell or affiliated companies to disguise his control while illegal activities continued.
Disturbing Discovery
In May, Arcadia police conducted a search of Xuan’s expansive nine-bedroom mansion after a two-month-old infant was admitted to a local hospital with head injuries and retinal bleeding.
Upon entry, officers found 15 children, mainly toddlers, being cared for by six live-in caregivers. The residence was equipped with classrooms, security cameras, and bedrooms organized by age.
As indicated by the Times, Xuan and his partner, 38-year-old Sylvia Zhang, informed detectives that they parent 22 children, the majority of whom were born via surrogacy.
Approximately 25 surveillance cameras were installed throughout the home, with their feeds directed to a monitor in the bedroom occupied by Xuan and Zhang, according to the Times.
Reviewing the footage revealed caregivers mistreating toddlers, forcibly removing their clothing, and yelling at them. The couple was arrested on May 9 under suspicion of child endangerment.
Legal Proceedings on Hold
So far, prosecutors have refrained from filing charges, citing the necessity for investigators to further analyze the extensive video evidence before deciding whether to proceed with any charges. The children are currently under the supervision of Los Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services.
Xuan and Zhang assert that their family was legitimately formed through surrogacy. However, investigators have yet to verify whether such arrangements adhered to U.S. law.
While Arcadia police have not fully explored the surrogacy contracts, they have not dismissed the possibility that this case might involve human trafficking, although no such charges have been made.