Texas Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Kidnapping a Toddler

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A Texas man has been sentenced for conspiring to kidnap a toddler, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Steven Andrew Holguin, 42, of El Paso, Texas, to 210 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. In April, Holguin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

According to the plea agreement, on November 4, 2021, a police officer with the Birmingham Police Department responded to a call at a residence in Birmingham regarding the kidnapping of a three-year-old female from the residence. Holguin and his co-conspirator, Elis Salgado-Galindo, kidnapped the toddler with the intent of taking her to her father, who lives in Honduras. With Holguin's assistance, Salgado-Galindo grabbed the toddler and fled the residence. An Amber Alert was issued and law enforcement along the Alabama/Mississippi state line were provided the description of the vehicle, toddler, and suspects. That same evening, deputies with the Rankin County, Mississippi Sheriff's Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle matching the description of Holguin's vehicle. Deputies instructed Holguin, who was the driver of the vehicle, to exit the vehicle and walk back to the officer's vehicle. Deputies then removed the other individuals from the vehicle, including the toddler. A deputy recognized the toddler from the Amber Alert and sent a picture of her to a detective with the Birmingham Police Department. The detective showed the picture to the toddler's mother, who confirmed that it was her daughter. Both men were immediately taken into custody, and the toddler was safely returned to her mother.

Holguin was previously convicted in 2020 in the United States District Court in the Western District of Texas for conspiracy to transport aliens. He was sentenced to six months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.

Salgado-Galindo, a citizen of Mexico, was unlawfully present in the United States. On December 14, 2021, Salgado-Galindo was turned over to ICE custody and deported prior to his indictment on federal charges.

Homeland Security Investigations, Birmingham, investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Pearl Mississippi Police Department, and the Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff's Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.