SoCal surrogate says she delivered twins but was never paid by the agency

Darlene Arreola, a Southern California woman who served as a surrogate for another family, is facing emotional distress as she claims she has not received payment for her services. Arreola, motivated by a desire to assist a couple struggling to have children, entered into an agreement with Elite Women Surrogacy (EWS). She alleges that despite the terms of her contract, the money earmarked for her surrogacy services was directly sent to the owner of EWS, Kenia German.

The contract Arreola signed online was supposed to involve placing the payment for her services into a trust account. Later, Arreola discovered that the funds were not directed to her as intended but were, instead, sent to the owner of EWS. According to Arreola, this revelation came to light only during a recent conversation where she expressed her concern about not receiving payment.

Arreola, who gave birth to twins a few months ago through an emergency cesarean section, has been trying to resolve the issue by communicating with EWS and its owner. She claims that she was informed by EWS that the funds were being withheld by the bank, which allegedly was not releasing the funds. Additionally, she received screenshots of money transfers to an account that did not belong to her, further complicating the situation.

Attempting to address the matter, Eyewitness News visited the listed address for the EWS office, only to find it closed. The current occupants of the space explained that they took over because the previous tenant, EWS, had reportedly stopped paying rent. This adds another layer of uncertainty to Arreola’s situation as she continues to navigate the complex aftermath of her surrogacy experience.