Help Me! 13-yr-old girl rescued after flashing handwritten sign from kidnapper's car

In a dramatic turn of events, a 13-year-old girl, who had been abducted and sexually assaulted in Texas, was saved in California when observant witnesses spotted her raising a sign that read “Help Me!” from inside a parked car. Steven Robert Sablan, a 61-year-old resident of Cleburne, Texas, was apprehended in Long Beach, California, and is now facing charges of kidnapping and transporting a minor with the intent to commit criminal sexual activity, police said. The incident came to light when the girl was walking on a street in San Antonio on July 6. Sablan, driving a silver Nissan Sentra, approached her, and the situation took a frightening turn. Allegedly brandishing a handgun, Sablan threatened her, coercing her into getting into the car with him, under the threat of harm. Terrified for her life, the girl followed him. Throughout the ordeal, the girl tried to resist Sablan’s advances, but he persisted, sexually assaulting her multiple times during the two-day journey from Texas to California. However, on July 9 when they arrived at a laundromat in Long Beach, the young girl wrote a desperate plea on a piece of paper, holding it up in the hopes of catching the attention of people passing by. Some Good Samaritans indeed spotted the distressing sign and immediately dialed 911 to alert the Long Beach Police Department. Responding swiftly, the police arrived at the scene shortly after 10 a.m. They found Sablan standing outside the vehicle, while inside, the victim mouthed the word “Help,” as stated in court documents. Upon searching the car, authorities discovered a BB gun, a knife, and the sign used by the brave girl to seek help. Shockingly, Sablan had a pair of handcuffs in his possession as well. Further investigation revealed that the girl had been reported as a runaway from San Antonio, and she had left her home in an attempt to visit a friend in Australia. Sablan took advantage of her vulnerability and forcibly kidnapped her. If convicted, Sablan could face a life sentence in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. As per reports, Sablan was already wanted for burglary in Fort Worth, Texas, and was considered “armed and dangerous,” with a history of prior convictions.