Brave Passersby Rescue Kidnapped 13-Year-Old Girl with “Help Me” Sign in Southern California.
In a dramatic turn of events, a 13-year-old girl who had been kidnapped in Texas and sexually assaulted was rescued in Long Beach, Southern California.
The rescue took place on July 9 when passersby noticed the distressed girl holding up a sign inside a parked car that read “help me.”
The swift action of the Good Samaritans led to the girl’s safe rescue.
According to reports, the girl was abducted on July 6 in San Antonio, Texas, by a 61-year-old man identified as Steven Robert Sablan. He allegedly threatened the girl with a black handgun, forcing her into his vehicle.
The young victim had left her home without informing her parents, intending to visit a friend who had moved to Australia a year earlier. She had kept in touch with her friend through an internet chatroom.
During her captivity, the girl shared her plight with Sablan, who promised to take her to a cruise ship bound for Australia. However, he also coerced her into complying with his demands.
The harrowing ordeal continued as Sablan sexually assaulted the girl multiple times during their journey from Texas through New Mexico and Arizona, ultimately ending up in California.
Fortunately, the rescue took place when Sablan parked at a laundromat in Long Beach. He instructed the girl to change her clothes, creating an opportunity for her to write the distress signal on a piece of note paper. The vigilant passersby immediately called 911 upon seeing the message.
Long Beach police swiftly arrived at the scene and apprehended Sablan. The young girl was visibly emotional and distressed during the rescue.
In the subsequent investigation, officers found evidence in the suspect’s possession, including silver handcuffs, a black plastic BB gun, and a switchblade knife.
Steven Robert Sablan was arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of kidnapping and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. He is currently held at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center.
The girl has been placed under the care of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.