A teenage girl’s desperate handwritten note may have saved her life by leading to her kidnapper’s arrest after three days in captivity.
Steven Robert Sablan, 63, of Cleburne, Texas, abducted the 13-year-old girl at gunpoint in San Antonio before driving her to California on July 6, 2023.
An FBI agent said the teen was walking down a street when Sablan drove up, raised a black handgun and said: ‘If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you.’
Prosecutors said he sexually assaulted her several times during the journey in a gray Nissan Sentra until a quick-thinking move by the girl led to his arrest three days later.
While sitting in Sablan’s car as it was parked in Long Beach on July 9, the teenager managed to write ‘help me’ on a piece of paper and held it against the window.
A passerby saw her desperate plea and called police, according to prosecutors. When cops arrived, she mouthed the word ‘help’ and they rescued her from the car.
At the time of the crime, Sablan had no legal custody or familial relationship to the victim, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
After being held in custody since July 2023, Sablan pleaded guilty in January 2024 to one count of kidnapping.
On Friday, United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha sentenced him to 35 years in federal prison, while ordering him to pay $1,158 in restitution.
‘The 35-year sentence imposed ensures this defendant will not have the opportunity to victimize children,’ said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally.
‘There is nothing as important as protecting our young people. I commend our federal and local law enforcement partners for their efforts to secure justice here.’
The FBI investigated the case along with the Long Beach Police Department, assisted by the Texan Cleburne and Forth Worth Police Departments.
‘Mr. Sablan took this young girl from the safety of her Texas home and repeatedly sexually assaulted her at gunpoint throughout a lengthy drive of terror to California,’ said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
‘The FBI will not tolerate sexual deviants who exploit our children at will and – as in this case – will hold these violent offenders accountable.’
‘This sentencing announcement represents a collaborative commitment to holding individuals accountable for victimizing and inflicting trauma upon our children,’ said Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish.
‘I am deeply grateful to our officers and federal law enforcement partners from the FBI and DOJ for their tireless efforts on this case.’
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Sablan’s attorney, Deputy Federal Public Defender Nadine Hettle, declined to comment Saturday.