Images, inset via KABC (Los Angeles, Calif.)
A 13-year-old Texas girl allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint and sexually assaulted multiple times as her captor drove her to California has been rescued after waving a “Help Me!” sign at strangers, officials say.
Steven Robert Sablan, 61, is charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, the Justice Department announced in a press release.
Federal prosecutors say that the girl was walking down a street in San Antonio, Texas, on July 6 when Sablan approached her in his car, a gray Nissan Sentra.
“If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you,” Sablan allegedly said while raising a black handgun to his side. The girl, fearing for her life, obeyed, prosecutors said.
While driving with the victim, Sablan allegedly asked her how old she was. After she told Sablan that she had a friend in Australia, the defendant allegedly told the girl he could take her to a cruise ship to visit her friend, but “she had to do something for him first,” according to the press release.
He then repeatedly sexually assaulted her, according to court documents, and continued to do so over the next two days as he drove the girl from Texas to California.
On the morning of July 9, Sablan allegedly parked the car in a lot in Long Beach, a port city located around 30 miles south of Los Angeles, and took his and the victim’s clothes to a laundromat.
According to federal investigators, that’s when the girl made the move that led to her rescue.
“While Sablan was in the laundromat, the victim stayed in the car and wrote ‘Help me!’ on a piece of paper to try and get someone’s attention,” the DOJ press release said. A witness called police, who found Sablan standing outside the car when they got to the scene.
The victim reportedly mouthed the word “help” from inside the car, according to court filings.
“During a search of the vehicle, officers retrieved a black BB gun, a ‘Help me’ sign, and a pair of handcuffs,” the press release said. “Law enforcement determined the victim was a reported runaway missing person from San Antonio.”
If convicted of both charges, Sablan faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison. He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 31, according to the press release.
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