'Help Me' Sign Leads to Rescue of Kidnapped Teen

After flashing a "help me" letter to onlookers and allegedly being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and taken on a road trip, a 13-year-old Texas girl was found safe in California.

In the indictment, Steven Robert Sablan, 61, of Cleburne, Texas, was accused with abduction and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual behavior on one count each. stated in a news release by the attorney's office, according to Fox News. On July 31, he is due to be arraigned in the heart of Los Angeles, California.

How the 13-Year-Old Girl Was Kidnapped in Texas?

(Photo : by David McNew/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 1: A Caltrans freeway sign over Interstate 5 flashes the description of a kidnapping suspect's vehicle in addition to "child abduction 1 800 TELL CHP" as part part the statewide "Amber Alert" program August 1, 2002 in Los Angeles, California.

The juvenile victim was reportedly walking in San Antonia, Texas on July 6 when Sablan allegedly held a black revolver to his side and told the youngster to get inside his vehicle, according to the indictment and affidavit.

According to court records, the 61-year-old started driving and offered to take the girl on a cruise ship so she could visit her buddy in Australia.

The adolescent claims that Sablan instructed her that she "had to do something for him first." The adult is then accused of raping the woman while travelling from Texas to California after sexually assaulting her.

On July 9, Sablan stopped his automobile in Long Beach, California, left the victim in the vehicle, and proceeded inside a laundromat to wash their clothes. Officials claim that the teen victim scrawled "help me" on a scrap of paper in an effort to get someone's attention while her attacker was preoccupied.

Teen Kidnapping Cases in US

When the Long Beach Police Department came, they discovered Sablan outside the car when a witness spotted the child and reported it. The teen allegedly mouthed "help" to authorities from within. Officers discovered a black BB gun, a "Help me" sign, and a set of handcuffs while searching the car.

As soon as Sablan was taken into custody, authorities learned that the victim had been reported missing from Texas. According to officials, if Sablan is found guilty of abduction and transporting a minor with the purpose to engage in illegal sexual behavior, he may receive a sentence of up to life in federal prison.

Teen kidnapping is a serious problem in the United States. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), an average of 840,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States, and of those, an estimated 100 are abducted by strangers. Of those abducted by strangers, 81 percent are teenagers.

The consequences of teen kidnapping can be devastating. Teens who are kidnapped are often physically and sexually abused, and they may also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In some cases, teens who are kidnapped are never found.