PRU (Paranormal Reconnaissance Unit Part) 1

by Paul Dale Roberts
(SJB, CA USA)

Mysterious Bell Rock in Sedonia

PRU (Paranormal Reconnaissance Unit)
By Apaullo Adalere Robertson, Ghosthunter, P.R.U. (Paranormal Reconnaissance Unit)

Disclaimer: Parts of this story has been fictionalized to protect our clients. Apaullo.

PRU gets a call from Maggie. Maggie is actually the lovely Maggie Clara Baker. She lives in SJB and she lives with ghosts. Holly D. that will be the lead investigator for this case sets a date for the HPI core members to investigate. The date is June 21, 2008.

Michele S. Researcher & Investigator briefs Holly with the following:

“SJB Mission was built by the Spanish clergy in 1797. It was the 15th Mission in California and the largest mission. Before the Spaniards built the mission, the land of SJB was the home of the Mutsun Tribe of Indians. The Mutsun were hunter/gatherers or (Digger) Indians. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the Mutsun lived in small mud adobe huts in villages. Because the adobes were erected without roofs, the structures were mostly destroyed by the elements. At one time, the Mutsuns living at the mission numbered around 3000. Unlike the dismal fate of most natives in California, the Mutsuns were able to survive due to the fact that the missions were considered sanctuary. Violence, starvation, and disease were not as prevalent as it was in other areas of the state. The spiritual practices of the Mutsuns were banished and they were taught to practice Christianity. The last surviving pure blooded Mutsun Indian died in 1930 and she is buried at the Indian cemetery next to the mission church.

Jose Castro, of the Mexican Army, (or American Army if you want to be technical as Mexico owned California at that time) built the "Castro House" and then the Breen family bought the property in the 1840's. The Breen family was survivors of the Donner party. Their son John brought home $10,000 worth of gold dust and the family was able to buy the house and property in SJB.

Because of the long and rich diversity and history of SJB, there are several varieties of architecture there including Adobe, Spanish, Italian, English, and others. George Chalmers was an architect in the town and built several properties there. He also had a brother, Robert, who is the famous ghost of Coloma's Vineyard House.”

Holly gathers her team of investigators, they are: Bryan C, Michele S, and of course me. Apaullo Adalere Robertson. Michele brought her boyfriend Scott Y. for support.

Holly shows up at my house and we pile in Holly’s vehicle for the road trip to SJB from Elk Grove. To make the passing of time bearable we threw on some Fergie. If you make a road trip to SJB from the Northern part of California, make sure to stop at Pea Soup Andersons at 376 Avenue of Flags in Buellton, CA. Check out their website at www.peasoupandersens.net They have a great tourist shop inside their restaurant. We stopped for refreshments and to stretch. After taking our roadside break, we were ready to roll. One unusual incident happened to us on the way down to SJB. Holly who is a sensitive and works directly for Sylvia B. felt a feeling of dread as we went through Pacheco Pass. She had this sinking feeling that she could not overcome until we were completely out of the Pacheco Pass area.

From what I know of Pacheco Pass is that it was on the original Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach route which connected the American Midwest with San Francisco all the way to 1858, until the Transcontinental Railroad was built. The pass is named after Francisco Perez Pacheco. Another name for Pacheco Pass is Robber’s Pass, due to the many stagecoach hold-ups.

The first person I interviewed was waitress Susanna Lopez of La Poblanita Mexican Restaurant. She tells me that the park near her house, the swing would start swinging by itself, usually at 11pm. The swing moves when there is no wind. It seems that the swing moves by itself almost every night. In the home she lives in, her boyfriend once felt a cold spot near his body. Her boyfriend’s sister has been pushed during the middle of the night. She has seen a little girl at the building near her home. She has even seen a light in the night sky that was large and as she watched it, it became smaller. This was an interesting story and I will later learn by the end of the day, that almost everyone in this town has witnessed something that was considered paranormal. It makes sense, since this town has seen its share of tragedy. For example, a Mexican stranger came into town in 1886 and went to the Plaza Hotel. He looked ill. Later it was learned he brought in smallpox to the town. 300 people of this town died of smallpox.

As we explored this town, I learn that on 1st and Washington Street, there is a phantom stagecoach that is seen. At the Cement Plant, people have claimed to have seen Shadow People. I shouldn’t forget that while I was interviewing Susanna Lopez. On this day, there was lightning and a quick rain. As fast as the thunderstorm came, it went. The only thunder I could hear was from the car show in this town and the many, many motorcycles that rumbled down the street. The Chicano Style Motorcycle Club made their presence known. I decided to interview another person on the street that didn’t want to be identified and she told me that a certain house blows smoke from the chimney on a certain day in October and there is no one living in the house. She had me walk with her and she pointed the house to me.

It was now time for a briefing from Maggie and her boyfriend Roger L. Miller. Here is what came out from the briefing. Doors have opened and closed by themselves. One time the door slammed shut on the owner of this home. They have seen the door move 6 or 8 inches on its own. They have heard the door knob making a clicking sound, as if someone was turning it. Roger felt like he was touched on one particular night. The children of this home feel like something is trying to go through their bedroom door. The air gets thick at times. One time a head was peeking around the doorway. A tall black thin shadow person was seen at the doorway. The bathroom and the one bedroom seem to have the most activity. I have to admit, that when I went into the bathroom by myself, there seem to be an electrical charge in the air. Their home is 102 years old, so it has a lot of history. Holly feels something dreadful happened on that stairwell and one of the neighbors remembers a story about a murder that occurred, possibly on that stairwell. It is rumored that a butcher shop once was located downstairs and that some of the employees of this butcher shop lived in the rooms that is now part of this apartment complex. They have been told that a portal goes from their bedroom to the church. Odors have been detected in this home, like a man’s body odor and later they smelled Bay Rum cologne. Below this home may be a tunnel that leads to the mission. There was a lady that died at Cutting Horse, she was stabbed to death and her presence may be in their home.

Our next stop was the Cutting Horse Steakhouse and Saloon on 307 Third Street. Ghosthunters get hungry and we all got our fill on some tasty cheeseburgers and fries. We topped it off with a strong delicious Cappuccino shot. If you come to SJB, you must stop at the Cutting Horse. They serve Skirt Steak plate marinated in Jack Daniels and grilled to order. Or try their Bullrider which is an open faced prime rib sandwich covered in cheddar cheese, onions, mushrooms and a secret sauce! Other items on their menu are: Ranch Steak Sandwich, Cowboy Sloppy Joe, Cutting Horse Club, Calamari Sandwich, Cowgirl Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Caesar Wrap, Half Pound Kobe, Black Angus Cobb Salad and a zillion other delicacies. My god, the food is delicious, plus the place is filled with history! The Lady in White (former madam of this town) haunts their establishment. She has been seen on the stairwell and sometimes appears as a skeletal face with long blonde hair. She is known to move about from the Cutting Horse to Posada de San Juan Hotel. The Taylors that are former owners of Cutting Horse walked into their restaurant and were sprayed water from a hose. After they got sprayed they watched the hose reattach itself to the wall. Cutting Horse is located over the town’s former hangman’s tree. Near this restaurant during the 1800s a drunken Mexican with a gun, shot Manuel Butron who was an epileptic. He shot Manuel through his chest. Manuel survived and his epileptic fits stopped. The man that shot him was taken to The Alameda’s willow tree and hung. Bryan Nohl, owner of the Cutting Horse took us into the tunnel under the restaurant. At one time this tunnel leads to the mission. The tunnel is now blocked off by a wall, due to the 1906 earthquake. San Juan Bautista sits on the San Andreas fault line. I went into the tunnel and you really feel closed in. Cutting Horse is a very interesting place and you feel like you are part of the Cutting Horse family, because the owners are very hospitable. Make sure to tell Christine Dreifuss and Bryan Nohl (owners) hi for me, if you decide to visit their establishment. Ask Christine and Bryan about the female skeletal face that some of their customers have seen in the mirrors. If you seen this skeletal face, ask for a Cappuccino shot quickly to pump up your heart if it stops beating. They do make the best Cappuccino shot! I had one and perked me up immediately!

Everything in SJB is in walking distance. You can see the haunted Plaza Hotel, you can visit Mission SJB (rumored to have residual haunting activity at this mission). There is the mission cemetery where 4300 mission Indians were buried on sacred ground in unmarked graves. At the mission is a statue of Fray Junipero Serra who was born on 1713 and died in 1784. He is the founder of all of the California missions.