A husband and wife in Redwood City are facing human trafficking charges relating to their alleged treatment of a nanny they hired from China.

Qi Li, 35, and his wife Jie Xu, 37, both face felony human trafficking charges in San Mateo County, and they were expected to appear in court for an arraignment Wednesday, as KRON4 reports. The charges stem from their alleged mistreatment of an unnamed 53-year-old woman who came to work for them last summer from China.

According to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, the woman had only met with Li and Xu by video before coming to the US to work as a nanny for their nine-month-old baby. She had gotten the job through an employment agency in China. When she arrived in June 2024, the woman said that she "was told she had to also do all the housework, the laundry and hold the baby while the baby napped,” per the DA's office. And, "The defendants made her work seven days a week for up to 20 hours a day."

The woman further alleged that the couple would not let her leave the house unaccompanied, and they later demanded that she hand over her passport.

Things came to a head just two months later, when the baby became ill. The woman alleges that on August 14, 2024, after the baby became ill and the couple blamed her for the child's illness, Li held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.

Several days later, on August 17, 2024, the child was hospitalized at Stanford Medical Center, and it was here that the nanny told staff about her treatment by the couple, and the threat with the knife.

The staff at the hospital reported this to the authorities, and the nanny was subsequently given temporary housing and support services from the county.

KRON4 reported at the time that Qi Li was arrested at Stanford Medical Center on August 21, 2024 on suspicion of multiple charges, including human trafficking.

After each posting $250,000 bail, Li and Xu have been out of custody, and were set to appear in court today. According to KRON4, Xu is also scheduled for a hearing on August 25 to determin her eligibility for mental health diversion.