Meet Cop Who Helped Nail Alleged Dugard Kidnapper

Aug. 28, 2009 — -- In an interview with ABC News, University of California-Berkeley Police Officer Ally Jacobs recounted the stunning details of the bizarre encounter that led her to unwittingly crack the 18-year-long kidnapping case of Jaycee Dugard.

Jacobs and Lisa Campbell, a UC-Berkeley staff member, met earlier this week with Phillip Garrido and the two young girls he is said to have fathered with Dugard. Little more than instinct led Jacobs to do the police work that freed Dugard from her alleged kidnapper of two decades.

On Monday, Garrido came to the police station in Berkeley's Sproul Hall to discuss a special event he wanted to hold on campus. He briefly met with a staff member who coordinates special events on campus. She asked him to return on Tuesday for an appointment.

Watch the full story tonight on "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET

On Tuesday, the staff member told Jacobs about her encounter the previous day with Garrido. She told Jacobs that Garrido was erratic, saying he wanted discuss "the Lord's desire," adding that "she kind of had a feeling about him" and that he had an appointment to come in later that day.

Jacobs ran a criminal check on Garrido and found that he was on parole for rape. It was enough to make Jacobs decide to sit in on the meeting.

When Garrido arrived for his Tuesday appointment, he brought his two daughters, 15 and 11. The group gathered to discuss Garrido's request, but Jacobs' attention quickly turned to the two young girls.

The younger daughter, Jacobs said, sat and seemed relaxed, while the older one stood, "staring at him like he was a god." Both girls, Jacobs recalled, "had this weird look in their eyes like brainwashed zombies."

Concerned by Garrido's erratic behavior, Jacobs began to engage the girls. She asked the girls what grade they were in and they told Jacobs they were home-schooled. Jacobs asked the younger girl about a mark near her eye that initially appeared to be a bruise. The girl told Jacobs it was an inoperable birth defect.

Jacobs said on close inspection the mark did appear to be some kind of growth, but one that a doctor could have likely handled. Authorities announced Thursday that neither of the girls had ever been to a doctor.

Cop's Concern Leads to Phone Call

Jacobs continued questioning the girls, who had mentioned they had an older sister who was in her twenties -- a reference to their mother, Dugard. Jacobs asked the girls what they were doing with their daddy that day. Garrido then interjected, saying "I'm socializing them, showing them how it's done," according to Jacobs.

Jacobs pressed, asking Garrido "How what is done?"

"Interacting with people," Garrido said.

Jacobs found herself in a difficult position. She says she felt there was not enough evidence to get Child Protective Services to intervene. Jacobs shook Garrido's hand and he left the meeting. Both Campbell and Jacobs remained concerned about the young girls, so Jacobs decided to call Garrido's parole officer to discuss his daughters.

Jacobs said she was shocked to hear from the parole 0fficer that he believed Garrido had no daughters, and told Jacobs that he would investigate further. On Wednesday, Aug. 28, he called Jacobs back and told her Garrido was wanted for kidnapping.