An abducted Texas teen was rescued outside a laundromat in California when a sharp-eyed bystander nearby noticed that she had written “Help Me” in red ink on a piece of paper. Upon noticing that, the witness called law enforcement officers and alerted them to the situation. Fortunately, the officers were able to get there in time and rescue the young girl.
The US Attorney’s office described what happened in a report on the situation, writing that the 13-year-old girl had been captured by the man at a Texas bus stop, with the kidnapper using a brandished handgun to force the girl in his car.
Describing the kidnapping, the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said, “According to the indictment and an affidavit previously filed with a criminal complaint in this matter, on July 6 in San Antonio, the victim was walking down a street when Sablan, driving a gray Nissan Sentra, approached her. Sablan allegedly raised a black handgun to his side and told the victim to get in the car, saying “If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you.” Fearing for her life, the victim obeyed Sablan, court documents allege.”
Continuing, the report from the US Attorney’s Office added details about what Sablan did, despite knowing how young the girl was, writing, “Sablan allegedly began driving with the victim in the car and asked her how old she was. The victim replied she was 13 years old, and – after later mentioning she had a friend in Australia – Sablan allegedly told the victim he could take her to a cruise ship to visit this friend, but she had to do something for him first. He then repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim, according to court documents.”
The report then explained how the kidnapper and his teenage victim made it from Texas to California, saying, “Over the next two days, Sablan allegedly drove the victim from Texas to California and sexually assaulted her at least two more times.”
It was there that the eagle-eyed observer noticed what was going on with the man and young girl, who used the visibility provided by a laundromat trip to silently beg nearby people for help with a “help me” sign written in red ink: “On the morning of July 9, Sablan parked the car in a lot in Long Beach and took their clothes to a laundromat for washing. 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.”
That’s when the witness noticed the sign and called law enforcement officers, who fortunately arrived in time to rescue the girl: “A witness telephoned law enforcement, who upon arrival saw Sablan standing outside the vehicle and saw the victim – who mouthed the word “Help” – inside the car, court documents state. During a search of the vehicle, officers retrieved a black BB gun, a “Help me” sign, and a pair of handcuffs. Law enforcement determined the victim was a reported runaway missing person from San Antonio.”
The Attorney’s Office said that the kidnapper would face a slew of charges for the incident, writing, “Steven Robert Sablan, 61, of Cleburne, Texas, is charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. His arraignment is scheduled for July 31 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.”
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