13-Year-Old Texas Girl Kidnapped and Rescued in Southern California
A 13-year-old girl who was kidnapped in Texas and sexually assaulted has been rescued in Southern California thanks to the quick thinking of passersby. The incident took place on July 9 in Long Beach, just south of Los Angeles.
Officers responded to a trouble call and discovered the visibly distressed girl, who had been taken against her will. The heroic rescuers had noticed her holding up a piece of paper with the words help me written on it while she was inside a parked car. Recognizing her distress, they immediately called 9-1-1.
Authorities have identified the suspect as Steven Robert Sablan, a 61-year-old man from Cleburne, Texas. He was apprehended and indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of kidnapping and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Sablan is currently being held at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles.
The harrowing ordeal began when the girl was walking down a street in San Antonio, Texas, on July 6. Sablan approached her in his car, brandishing a black handgun, and menacingly told her to get inside. Fearing for her safety, she complied. The FBI agent’s affidavit states that the girl had left her home without informing her parents because she wanted to visit a school friend who had moved to Australia and kept in touch through an internet chatroom.
During the drive, Sablan revealed that he could take the girl to a cruise ship bound for Australia. However, he made it clear that she would need to do something for him in return. As the journey progressed, he sexually assaulted her multiple times, despite her pleas for him to stop. The girl, terrified of further harm, believed she had no choice but to comply.
Sablan’s disturbing actions continued as he traveled from San Antonio through New Mexico, Arizona, and into California. Upon reaching Long Beach, he parked at a laundromat and instructed the girl to change her clothes. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she wrote help me on a piece of notepaper. When police officers arrived on the scene, they observed the distressed girl silently mouth the word help.
During the arrest, officers discovered a pair of silver handcuffs in Sablan’s back pocket and learned that he was wanted for burglary in Fort Worth, Texas. A search of the vehicle yielded further evidence, including a black plastic BB gun, the help me sign, a switchblade knife, and black handcuffs labeled Fetish Fantasy Series Designer Cuffs.
The affidavit reveals that Sablan has a criminal history dating back to 1979, including convictions for robbery with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon and burglary in 1985, and possession of a controlled substance in 2016.
Following her rescue, the girl was placed under the care of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Authorities are continuing their investigation into this traumatic incident.
This courageous rescue serves as a reminder of the importance of remaining vigilant and responsive to signs of distress within our communities. The quick thinking and decisive action of the Good Samaritans undoubtedly saved this young girl from further harm.
