A Texas man pleaded guilty in California Friday to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old who was rescued after she was spotted holding up a “help me” sign while inside her kidnapper’s car.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said Steven Robert Sablan, 62, of Cleburne, Texas, who has been in custody since being arrested in July, faces a minimum of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors said he abducted the girl at gunpoint in San Antonio on July 6 and drove her to Long Beach, California. Sablan sexually assaulted the girl while she was his hostage over the next three days.

The girl was rescued in Long Beach on July 9 after a good samaritan called police when she saw the girl hold up a “help me” sign in the window of Sablan’s car.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.