While Jaycee Dugard was being held prisoner in Phillip Garrido‘s backyard, the sex-crazed monster spent a night alone in an Antioch, Calif., hotel with an unidentified 12-year-old girl.
That’s the startling revelation of Beth Torres, a longtime Antioch resident and manager of a local hotel, who witnessed Garrido checking into a room with the girl.
In an exclusive interview with The ENQUIRER, Beth said she was suspicious when Garrido appeared at the front desk with the child and asked for a single room – and she says she has always regretted not calling authorities immediately.
"Iknew it wasn’t right," Beth said. "I knew there was some sick sex thing going on with him and the young girl, but I couldn’t prove it at the time, and I didn’t know he was a registered sex offender."
The incident occurred about four years ago and the girl has not been identified.
Police investigators have been searching for several missing girls they think may have links to 58-year-old Garrido, and it’s believed the child Beth saw that night – who appeared to be about 12 – may have been one of them, according to an insider.
Beth recalls the child being quiet and withdrawn, and she remembers her staring at the floor as Garrido – who checked in under his real name – got the room key.
"It was a summer night and very hot, but once they got into room 140, they did not come back out until the next morning.
"I saw Phil carrying in food, but they didn’t have any suitcases or bags, which was also odd to me."
Beth says she walked past the room several times to see if she could hear any sounds of distress from behind the door.
"I wanted to hear if the little girl was crying or if Phil was yelling at her. I just needed something to justify calling the police.
"I wanted to do something, but of course if Ihad been wrong, it would have been a nightmare for me and the hotel, so I wanted to be extra cautious. Now I know I should have called the police."
Beth asked The ENQUIRER not to publish the name of the hotel at which she worked.
Garrido and the girl checked out before 8 a.m. the following morning.
"Phil came into the lobby to clear his bill – paying cash – and the girl was waiting in the car.
"After he paid and started to walk out, he turned to look at me and it gave me chills. We both stood there and stared at each other – which seemed like forever – and then he opened the door and got into his car.
"Knowing what I know now, I really regret [not calling the police]. It might have saved Jaycee and brought her and her two kids home much sooner."
