13-year-old kidnapped girl rescued after holding up ‘help me sign’ inside car in California
Kidnapped girl rescued
Quick thinking by a 13-year-old kidnapped girl in the US enabled her rescuefrom the clutches of her abductor after a Good Samaritan spotted her “help me sign” inside a car in southern California.
On July 6, the minor girl — who has not been identified — was kidnapped at gunpoint near a bus stop in San Antonio, Texas.
The accused — 61-year-old Steven Robert Sablan — approached the girl in his vehicle demanding that she get in, saying, "If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you," Long Beach Police Department said in anews release.
Accused kidnapped girl at gunpoint
According to police, Sablan had initially approached her by promising to take her on a cruise ship, but the 13-year-old had her suspicions.
When his sweet talk didn’t work, Sablan used coercion and made her sit in the car using his gun.
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During the three days of her captivity, Sablan allegedly drove the girl more than 19 hours from Texas to California.
Police said that the girl was allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulted while being driven to California. Meanwhile, the girl’s mother reported her missing to San Antonio authorities on July 7.
Good Samaritan
On July 9, Sablan went to a laundromat in Long Beach to wash their clothes. While he was inside, the girl wrote "Help me!" on a piece of paper and held it up. A witness saw the sign and called the police, leading to the girl's rescue.
Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish thanked the community for helping the girl.
“This incident highlights the critical role community members play in keeping people safe,” he said in a statement.
“I would also like to acknowledge our officers for their swift response and actions which led to getting this victim to safety.”
Police later arrested the man and found a black BB gun "which resembled a semi-automatic pistol." They also found a pair of handcuffs inside the car.
Sablan was later sent to prison in Long Beach City after he was booked for kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts with a child, and fugitive from justice.
He was booked on a $100,000 bail and was released to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on July 11, according to the jail's website.
Earlier this week,Sablan wasindicted by a federal grand jury and charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, the Central District of California USAttorney's Office said in a news release. His arraignment is scheduled for July 31 in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
The girl was placed in the custody of the Los Angeles county department of children and family services.
According to AP news agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has taken over the case.
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