Arcadia police raided a mansion to find an illegal casino, drug activity, and 15 young children
A California mansion has been raided several times to discover an illegal casino, drug activity, and no less than 15 children.
Arcadia police in California have completed several raids on Pacific Place, a gated complex of office buildings and warehouses and found evidence of illegal gambling, drug activity, and 15 children, most of them toddlers. The raids took place four times across three years, with authorities finding evidence of new crimes each time, including an illegal casino with electronic gambling tables. The police seized these machines on December 9, 2021.
The owner of the property and father of 22 children, 65-year-old Guojun Xuan, told police that all but two of the children were born to surrogates. The presence of so many young children made Kollin Cieadlo, a lieutenant for the Arcadia Police Department, and his detectives suspect that they’d uncovered a human trafficking ring. Xuan and his partner, 38-year-old Sylvia Zhang, told police they “simply wanted to have a large family”, according to LA Times. No charges have been filed against the couple.
Uncovering an illegal casino
The investigation was sparked when Arcadia police asked the FBI to look into Xuan and Zhang after learning they had transferred money to surrogates and traveled across state lines to collect the children. This led to the discovery of illicit drugs on a property belonging to Xuan in El Monte, California, which he was renting out.
Further evidence led to El Monte authorities filing a civil abatement claim against Xuan and others connected to Pacific Place, laying the groundwork for a series of police raids that would uncover evidence of alleged illegal gambling and drug manufacturing. El Monte authorities claim that they found evidence at Xuan’s property of a “well-established, sophisticated and persistent criminal enterprise”, including trash bags full of drugs, guns, and counterfeit currency.
While Xuan and Zhang have not been charged, local authorities are reviewing evidence to potentially charge them with child abuse, with Arcadia police asking other agencies to assist in reviewing several weeks of video.
“Our intention is 100% to get charges filed,” Cieadlo said.
At the moment, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has taken custody of the children, with some reportedly already finding homes via foster care.
Featured image: LA Times
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