A vigilant bystander helped save a kidnapped 13-year-old girl after spotting her handwritten plea for help.
A Texas man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted the teenager - while driving her from San Antonio to Southern California - has since pleaded guilty to a federal kidnapping charge as part of a plea agreement, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Steven Robert Sablan, 62, abducted the young girl at gunpoint on July 6, 2023, in San Antonio, and subjected her to "sexual activity" while driving her to Long Beach, California, as detailed in the plea agreement, per CNN.
Sablan, who hails from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, had no legal custody or familial ties to the victim.
He forcibly took her as she walked near a bus stop, brandishing a handgun and threatening harm if she didn't comply, according to an FBI agent's affidavit.
The girl disclosed her age and mentioned having a friend in Australia. Sablan deceitfully offered to take her to a cruise ship, but after about an hour of driving, he directed her to the back seat of his car and sexually assaulted her multiple times, despite her pleas to stop, according to the criminal complaint.
Over the course of two days, he continued to assault her while driving more than 1,300 miles from Texas to California, with additional stops for further abuse, the complaint stated.
Per NBC News, he told her: "If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you."
The harrowing ordeal came to a turning point on July 9, 2023, when Sablan parked at a Long Beach laundromat to wash clothes, leaving the girl alone in the car. She seized a moment of bravery, scribbling a note that read "Help me!" and displayed it in the car window.
A vigilant passerby immediately dialed 911, alerting Long Beach police to the location.
Simultaneously, the girl's mother had reported her missing and shared details about her daughter's friend "Mickey" in Australia. She also revealed that her daughter had left home without notifying her of her plans.
Upon arrival, Long Beach police officers found the "visibly emotional and distressed" teenager.
Following Sablan’s arrest, police say they also found a plastic BB handgun, handcuffs, and a knife.
As part of the plea agreement, Sablan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, with the possibility of life imprisonment. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
Sablan's sentencing is scheduled for October 25.
