13-Year-Old Girl Kidnapped in Texas Uses ‘Help Me!’ Sign to Get Rescued in California

A 13-year-old girl saved her own life after being kidnapped in Texas.

via People:

According to the Long Beach Police Department, Steven Robert Sabalan, 61, forced the young girl into his car in San Antonio, Texas on July 6. He allegedly threatened her at gunpoint and took her with him across state lines — nearly 1,400 miles — to California, where she was found three days later.

“Good Samaritans were in a parking lot when they saw the victim in a parked vehicle holding up a piece of paper with ‘help me’ written on it,” a LBPD press release read. “They acknowledged the note and immediately called 9-1-1.”

The girl also mouthed the words “help me” to passersby while Sabalan was inside a laundromat, according to police. She later revealed the suspect told her he was going to “hurt” her if she didn’t do what he said.

After kidnapping her, Sabalan allegedly asked the victim how old she was. When she mentioned having a friend in Australia, he allegedly told the victim he could take her to a cruise ship to visit the friend, but she had to do something for him first, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Officials said once they detained Sabalan they found a “replica firearm, which resembled a semi-automatic pistol,” that the suspect used to intimidate the victim. They also determined that Sabalan had sexually assaulted the girl at least three times during the drive.

“I want to commend our community members for their vigilance and willingness to get involved by calling 9-1-1. This incident highlights the critical role community members play in keeping people safe,” Long Beach Chief of Police Wally Hebeish said. “I would also like to acknowledge our officers for their swift response and actions which led to getting this victim to safety.” 

The Department of Children and Family Services in San Antonio was contacted and has taken custody of the teenage victim. The suspect was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this week and charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

The press release also stated that the FBI will take on the leading role in the case. Sabalan’s arraignment is scheduled for July 31 in the U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

If convicted of both charges in the indictment, Sablan will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.

After that other ‘kidnapping’ story this week, we’re happy this one had a true happy ending.

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