California authorities probing the case of a registered sex offenderaccused of kidnapping an 11-year-old and forcing her to live in a tentin his backyard for 18 years are now searching for possible links tothe unsolved murders of several prostitutes.
Phillip Garridowas arrested in Contra Costa County on Wednesday, accused of kidnappingJaycee Lee Dugard, now 29 years old, and fathering her two children.
Now,police from the neighboring township of Pittsburg are investigatingwhether the 58-year-old Garrido, a convicted sex offender, was involvedin the murders of several prostitutes whose bodies were found nearwhere he worked in the 1990s.
Garrido and his 54-year-oldwife, Nancy, have been charged with kidnapping and pleaded not guiltyin court on Friday afternoon.
Dugard was reunited with her family on Friday.
JayceeLee Dugard was snatched from a bus stop near her parents home when shewas 11-years-old. Her stepfather saw the abduction take place and goton a bike to chase her kidnappers, but was unable to keep up.
Reunited with her mother and sister, she was said to be doing well.
Aspokesman for the sheriff's department that arrested Garrido on Fridayexpressed regret that the suspect was not arrested earlier. He saidofficers have been by the property where Dugard was held captive twicein the past three years, including once to investigate the tents whereDugard and the children lived. But they never went inside thestructure.
Garrido's father says that his son has alwayssuffered from psychiatric problems and in his youth began takingillegal drugs which worsened the problem.