A Texas man was arrested after a 13-year-old kidnapping victim in Southern California made a “Help Me!” sign to call attention to herself.
For the alleged incident in which he is said to have pulled a gun on the child as she was walking along a sidewalk in San Antonio, Texas, earlier this month, Steven Robert Sablan, 61, is now facing federal abduction charges.
“If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you,” Sablan told the victim, according to court documents.
According to the affidavit, Sablan is accused of repeatedly s*xually assaulting the child inside the car while he drove her from Texas to California.
CNN confirms the news on its official Twitter account:
A 13-year-old kidnapping victim was rescued in Southern California after making a “Help Me!” sign to alert passersby, which then led to the arrest of a Texas man https://t.co/LEDAzatShF
— CNN (@CNN) July 21, 2023
This Monday, a grand jury returned an indictment against Sablan charging him with kidnapping a minor and transporting the child with the intent to participate in illegal s*x behavior. The US Department of Justice said on Thursday that he would be arraigned on the accusations later in the month.
According to police, on July 9, as Sablan entered a laundry facility in Long Beach, California, the youngster flashed a “Help Me!” sign from inside the suspect’s parked car, prompting a kind individual to dial 911. The girl was “visibly emotional and distressed,” according to Long Beach Police officers when they arrived.
According to the affidavit, which also mentions Sablan’s prior convictions for robbery and narcotics possession, officers learned that Sablan was sought on a burglary charge in Fort Worth, Texas, and was regarded as armed and dangerous after running the vehicle’s license plate.
The government affidavit claims that Sablan’s car included a switchblade, handcuffs, and a black handgun that was subsequently discovered to be a BB gun.
Sablan could receive a life sentence in prison if found guilty of both offenses.
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