The San Pedro Poltergeist

In 1989, Jackie Hernandez, a young single mother living in a small house in San Pedro, California, experienced poltergeist activity that would become one of the most documented cases in American paranormal history. Investigators captured footage that allegedly shows an invisible force physically throwing a person across a room—possibly the only such evidence ever recorded. The case attracted national attention and remains controversial decades later.

Background

Jackie Hernandez was living in a small home on East 11th Street in San Pedro with her two young children. She was going through difficult times—recently separated from her husband and struggling financially. The house was old and in poor condition, but it was what she could afford.

In August 1989, strange things began happening. Jackie heard phantom footsteps. Objects moved on their own. She saw a ghostly figure of a man in her home. The activity escalated to the point where Jackie feared for her family’s safety.

Investigation

Jackie contacted Dr. Barry Taff, a parapsychologist who had investigated the famous “Entity” case a decade earlier. Taff assembled a team that included cameraman Barry Conrad and photographer Jeff Wheatcraft. They began documenting what they found.

The investigators witnessed numerous phenomena. Objects moved without visible cause. Strange sounds emanated from walls. The temperature fluctuated dramatically. Most disturbingly, a malevolent male presence was detected, one that seemed particularly aggressive.

The Attack

On September 4, 1989, Jeff Wheatcraft was in the attic of the house with his camera. Barry Conrad was positioned at the attic entrance. What happened next was captured on video.

Without warning, a rope or cord hanging in the attic appeared to animate itself. It wrapped around Wheatcraft’s neck and began pulling him across the attic. Wheatcraft struggled as the invisible force dragged him. Conrad’s camera captured Wheatcraft being pulled by something unseen.

Eventually Wheatcraft managed to break free. He had visible marks on his neck from where the cord had wrapped around him. The footage, while dark and grainy, shows someone being physically moved by an invisible force.

Analysis

The attack footage has been analyzed repeatedly. Skeptics suggest the video could show staging—Wheatcraft could have wrapped the rope around himself and simulated being pulled. The darkness and camera angle make definitive analysis impossible.

Supporters point to the visible injuries, the multiple witnesses, and the consistent phenomena documented throughout the investigation. They argue that faking such footage would have required cooperation from Jackie, who had no obvious motive for deception.

Additional Phenomena

The investigation documented other phenomena:

A dripping substance appeared on walls and ceilings, resembling blood but never analyzed.

Lights flickered and electrical equipment malfunctioned.

A figure was photographed—a dark mass that some interpreted as a male spirit.

Jackie was pushed and scratched by unseen forces.

The children experienced disturbances in their rooms.

The Move

After months of intensifying activity, Jackie moved out of the San Pedro house. The phenomena reportedly followed her to her new residence, though at reduced intensity.

The original house was later investigated by other teams. Some reported continued phenomena; others found nothing unusual. The property has changed hands several times.

Documentary Coverage

The case was featured in the television show “Sightings” and other paranormal programs. The attack footage was broadcast nationally, introducing the San Pedro case to a wide audience. The coverage brought both support and criticism.

Dr. Taff published his findings and has discussed the case in numerous interviews. He considers it one of the most significant poltergeist cases he investigated, primarily because of the physical evidence captured on camera.

Psychological Context

Some researchers have noted Jackie’s difficult personal circumstances at the time of the haunting—separation, financial stress, young children to care for alone. These conditions match the profile often associated with poltergeist agents—young people under significant stress.

The possibility that Jackie unconsciously generated the phenomena through some form of psychokinesis cannot be ruled out. This would not make the phenomena less real but would suggest a human rather than supernatural source.

Legacy

The San Pedro case remains significant for two reasons. First, it produced physical evidence—the attack footage—that, if genuine, documents something remarkable. Second, it exemplifies the difficulties in investigating and proving paranormal claims, even with multiple witnesses and cameras.

Whether the San Pedro house was haunted by a malevolent spirit, affected by unconscious psychokinesis, or the site of an elaborate hoax continues to be debated. The footage remains, dark and grainy, inviting interpretation but resisting definitive conclusion.