A man from Texas just said he’s guilty of taking a 13-year-old girl. She was saved in Southern California because someone walking by saw her with a “Help Me!” sign in a car.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Central California shared on Friday that 62-year-old Steven Robert Sablan from Cleburne, Texas, agreed in his plea that he hurt the girl while they were traveling from Texas to California.

On July 9, the girl got help in Long Beach, not far from Los Angeles. A person who saw her with a paper asking for help called 911.

Since July 2023, Sablan has been held by the feds. He just admitted to kidnapping, the prosecutors tell us.

His lawyer, Nadine Hettle from the Public Defender’s Office, wouldn’t say anything about it on Saturday.

Back in July, a big jury said Sablan did kidnapping and took a minor, planning to do something really bad.

An FBI agent said in court papers that on July 6, the girl was walking in San Antonio. Sablan pulled up, showed a black gun, and told her she had to get in his car or he’d hurt her.

They’re going to decide his punishment on October 25. Sablan could be locked up for at least 20 years, or even for life.