A Texas man, Steven Robert Sablan, pleaded guilty on Friday to kidnapping a 13-year-old girl, who was abducted at gunpoint from a San Antonio street and transported to Southern California. The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California stated that Sablan admitted in a plea agreement that he sexually assaulted the victim while driving her from Texas to California. The girl was eventually rescued on July 9 in Long Beach, south of Los Angeles, after a passerby saw her holding up a handwritten sign that said "Help Me!" in a parked car and called 911.

Sablan, who has been in federal custody since July 2023, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of kidnapping and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The FBI agent investigating the case revealed in an affidavit that Sablan approached the girl as she was walking down a street in San Antonio on July 6. He raised a black handgun, threatened her by saying, "If you don't get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you," and forced her into the front passenger seat of his silver Nissan Sentra.

Despite the horrifying situation, the girl managed to take a risk and get the attention of a passerby by scribbling a note that read "help me" and flashing it towards them. The passerby immediately called 911, alerting the authorities to the girl's location. Meanwhile, the girl's mother had also reported her missing after she left home without informing her of her plans.

During the two-day journey from Texas to California, Sablan sexually assaulted the girl repeatedly, stopping at various points along the way. He eventually parked at a laundromat in Long Beach to wash clothes, leaving the girl alone in the car. It was during this time that she held up the "Help Me!" sign, leading to her rescue.

Upon Sablan's arrest in California, police discovered a plastic BB handgun, handcuffs, and a knife in his possession. Investigations revealed that Sablan had an outstanding warrant for his arrest related to a burglary charge in Fort Worth, and he had previously been convicted of robbery with a deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance.

Sablan, who is currently being held in a federal detention center in Los Angeles, will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life when he is sentenced on October 25. Additionally, he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Sablan's attorney, Deputy Federal Public Defender Nadine Hettle, declined to comment on the case.