A man has pleaded guilty to kidnapping a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint and sexually assaulting her, federal prosecutors said. The girl was rescued in Long Beach, south of Los Angeles, after a passerby called 911 to report seeing her hold up a piece of paper with a handwritten desperate plea for help
A man is facing a 35-year prison sentence for abducting a 13 year old girl at gunpoint.
The young girl was saved on July 9 in Long Beach, south of Los Angeles, after a passerby saw her holding up a handwritten sign saying: “Help me.”
Steven Robert Sablan, 62, from Cleburne, Texas, pled guilty to sexually assaulting the victim.
Sablan, who has been in custody since July 2023, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping, according to prosecutors. His lawyer, Deputy Federal Public Defender Nadine Hettle, declined to comment on Saturday.
In July, Sablan was indicted on charges of kidnapping and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
An FBI agent stated in an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint that the girl was just walking down the street on July 6 when Sablan approached, waving a gun, and threatened her, saying, “If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you.”
The creep then sexually assaulted the young girl multiple times during the drive from San Antonio through New Mexico and Arizona and into California.
Meanwhile, the girl’s distressed mother reported her missing on July 7.
On the drive, the suspect parked at a laundromat and instructed the girl to change her clothes. He then took their clothes inside, giving the girl an opportunity to scribble “help me” on a piece of paper, according to court documents.
When Long Beach police officers arrived, Sablan was found standing outside the car. The officers noticed the girl mouthing the word “help,” as stated by the agent.
The officers arrested Sablan and searched his car and found a black plastic BB gun, the “help me” sign, a switchblade knife, and black handcuffs in packaging labelled “Fetish Fantasy Series Designer Cuffs,” as per the document.
The affidavit also mentioned that Sablan had previous convictions for robbery with a deadly weapon in 1979, robbery with a deadly weapon and burglary in 1985, and possession of a controlled substance in 2016.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 25 and Sablan faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life, reports the Express US.
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