Quick-Thinking Teenager's Two-Word Note Leads to Dramatic Rescue After Cross-Country Kidnapping
A 13-year-old girl's remarkable bravery and quick thinking during a horrific three-day kidnapping ordeal ultimately led to her rescue, after she managed to display a handwritten distress signal from her captor's vehicle. The teenager, who was abducted at gunpoint in Texas and subjected to repeated sexual assaults during a 1,400-mile journey across multiple states, was saved when a vigilant passerby spotted her plea for help.
The Terrifying Abduction and Cross-Country Journey
The nightmare began in July 2023 when 63-year-old Steven Robert Sablan snatched the young teenager in San Antonio, Texas. Prosecutors revealed that Sablan threatened the girl with what she believed was a firearm, though it was later identified as a BB gun, forcing her into his gray Nissan Sentra. Despite informing her captor that she was only 13 years old, this information only served to strengthen his control over her, according to investigators.
What followed was a harrowing journey spanning approximately 1,400 miles across state lines, as Sablan drove through Texas, into New Mexico, then Arizona, and finally into California. The pair ended up in Long Beach, a neighbourhood in southern Los Angeles located over 1,350 miles from where the abduction occurred. While the direct driving time would have been around 20 hours non-stop, prosecutors disclosed that Sablan made several stops during which he attacked the victim "multiple times".
The Clever Distress Signal That Changed Everything
Throughout this terrifying ordeal, the teenager demonstrated extraordinary presence of mind. On July 9, 2023, while in Long Beach, she managed to scribble a desperate message on a torn piece of paper using large, bold red letters. The simple two-word plea - "Help Me" - became her lifeline as she displayed it in the car window, hoping against hope that someone would notice and intervene.
Her distress signal did not go unnoticed. A concerned citizen spotted the sign and immediately called emergency services. When officers arrived at the scene outside a laundromat, they found the car parked with Sablan standing outside. The Long Beach Post reported that the victim appeared "visibly emotional and distressed" and was mouthing the word "help" from inside the vehicle.
The Rescue and Evidence Discovery
Law enforcement officers swiftly arrested Sablan on the spot. Inside his vehicle, authorities discovered the handwritten sign, along with a BB gun, a switchblade, and a pair of handcuffs. Investigators later confirmed that Sablan had "no legal custody or familial relationship" with the girl, who had reportedly run away from home just before being kidnapped.
The Department of Justice emphasised the gravity of Sablan's crimes, noting that he had "violently abducted a child and repeatedly sexually assaulted her while driving her thousands of miles from her home." Prosecutors highlighted the parallel suffering of the victim's parents, who "agonised over their missing child, fearing the worst" during her captivity.
Justice Served: A 35-Year Prison Sentence
In February of last year, Sablan was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for his crimes. He had previously pleaded guilty in January 2024 to one count of kidnapping and admitted to driving the girl to California, threatening her with a firearm, and sexually assaulting her multiple times. Sablan has remained in federal custody since his arrest in July 2023.
Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally stated: "The 35-year sentence imposed ensures this defendant will not have the opportunity to victimise children. 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."
Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, added: "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. The FBI will not tolerate sexual deviants who exploit our children at will and – as in this case – will hold these violent offenders accountable."
Long Beach police chief Wally Hebeish echoed these sentiments, saying: "This sentencing announcement represents a collaborative commitment to holding individuals accountable for victimizing and inflicting trauma upon our children. I am deeply grateful to our officers and federal law enforcement partners from the FBI and DOJ for their tireless efforts on this case."
The teenager's courageous act of writing those two simple words not only saved her life but also ensured that a dangerous predator will spend decades behind bars, unable to harm other vulnerable young people.
