E. Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California
A Texas man has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for the kidnapping and repeated assault of a 13-year-old girl. Steven Robert Sablan, aged 63 from Cleburne, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha. Along with the prison term, Sablan was ordered to pay $1,158 in restitution.
Sablan pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping in January 2024 and has been held in federal custody since July 2023. The incident began on July 6, 2023, when Sablan abducted the victim at gunpoint in San Antonio. He then drove her to Long Beach, California, where he sexually assaulted her multiple times.
Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally stated, “The 35-year sentence imposed ensures this defendant will not have the opportunity to victimize children.” Akil Davis from the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office added that “Mr. Sablan took this young girl from the safety of her Texas home and repeatedly sexually assaulted her at gunpoint throughout a lengthy drive of terror to California.”
Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish praised the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies involved: “This sentencing announcement represents a collaborative commitment to holding individuals accountable for victimizing and inflicting trauma upon our children.”
The ordeal ended on July 9, 2023, when a Good Samaritan noticed the victim holding a "Help Me" sign from inside Sablan’s car and called authorities. The investigation involved several law enforcement bodies including the FBI and police departments from Long Beach, Cleburne, and Fort Worth.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell prosecuted the case underlining that “[Sablan] violently abducted a child and repeatedly sexually assaulted her while driving her thousands of miles from her home.”
