As part of a plea deal, Texas man Steven Robert Sablan admitted guilt to a federal abduction charge after kidnapping and sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in San Antonio.
According to the plea deal, Sablan, 62, repeatedly sexually molested the girl he kidnapped at gunpoint while taking her to Long Beach in Southern California last year.
“Sabalan had no familial relationship or legal custody to the victim at the time of the crime,” according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
“If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you,” Sablan allegedly threatened the child during the July kidnapping, according to court filings.
On July 9, 2023, the youngster was saved from inside Sablan’s parked car when she waved a “Help Me!” sign as Sablan entered a laundry in Long Beach, California, according to CNN.
After noticing the poster, a good Samaritan called the police to report the kidnapping. According to Long Beach police, the girl was “visibly emotional and distressed” when they arrived.
Sablan could receive a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s office.
According to the plea deal, he will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from jail.
The sentencing hearing for Sablan is set for October 25.
