SAN ANTONIO – A Texas man has been indicted after he kidnapped a San Antonio girl at gunpoint earlier this month and drove her to Los Angeles, where she escaped by writing “help me” on a piece of paper, according to federal authorities.
Steven Robert Sablan, 61, of Cleburne, was formally charged Thursday with one count of kidnapping and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California said in a news release.
Authorities said on July 6, Sablan approached the 13-year-old girl in his Nissan Sentra as she was walking down the street. He raised a handgun and told her to get in the car or else he would hurt her, court documents state.
The girl entered the car and over the next two days, Sablan drove her to California, the release states. He sexually assaulted her multiple times, authorities said.
On the morning of July 9, Sablan parked his car in a lot in Long Beach and he took their clothes to a laundromat.
While Sablan was at the laundromat, the girl stayed in the car and wrote “Help me!” on a piece of paper to get someone’s attention, the news release states.
A witness called the police, who arrived to find the girl mouthing the word “help” as Sablan stood outside the car, the release adds.
Authorities found a “help me” sign, a pair of handcuffs and a BB gun inside the vehicle.
The girl has since been reunited with her family, according to the DOJ.
Sablan is scheduled to be arraigned on July 31 in a U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted of both charges, he may face up to life in prison.
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