Cafe La Paloma

Arrival

Noah, Missy, and John arrived at 6:35 pm and were met by the client. The client was accompanied by his girlfriend, her girlfriend, and Allison Jornlin of Milwaukee Ghost Tours. The group unloaded gear and established a basecamp area in the First Floor Bar area. We immediately began to set up our equipment.

Missy took indoor baseline readings of temperature and EMF (electromagnetic energy) then went outside to document outside weather conditions as Noah and John continued to set up equipment.

View Environmental Data

An EMF pump (a device that emits electromagnetic energy which theoretically can be used by spirits to manifest), Zoom H1 digital audio recorder, Sony HDR-XR200V video camera with a wide angle lens, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure datalogger, Geophone, which detects vibration, negative ion generator, and a bottle of alcohol, used as a “trigger object”, were placed in the First Floor Bar area.

A Sony HDR-XR200V video camera with a wide angle lens, a Zoom H1 digital audio recorder, and a temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure datalogger, were placed in the Basement.

At 7:23 pm, we did a walkthrough with the owner, his girlfriend, her friend, and Allison. The client shared the various experiences that occurred at the restaurant that he believed were paranormal. The restaurant is a two level Mexican restaurant with apartments above it. The client advised that he never met the previous owner and was unaware if there were any claims of paranormal activity prior to him purchasing the restaurant. While doing the walkthrough, one of the guests indicated she felt dizzy while in the Basement. This was in an area of high ElectroMagnetic Field (EMF) readings, which could explain the dizziness.

At 7:38 am, the video equipment and audio recorders were activated and after everyone had a chance to use the restroom the investigation was began.

Claims of Activity

• Doors heard opening and closing
• Footsteps heard on 1st Floor while in Basement
• Incomprehensible voices heard while in Basement
• Feeling of a presence around people in the Basement water heater room
• Fan fell/knocked over on the 1st Floor when only one person was in the building
• Stones were thrown at a mason doing construction work on the 1st Floor
• A cork was observed shooting out of an alcohol bottle with no apparent cause

Investigation

Basement – 8:11 pm

The group decided to conduct an EVP session in the Basement. Missy proceeded to the bar room, John, Allison, and Noah to the dining area, and the owner and his guests to the stairway area.

At 8:14 pm, we observed silence for several minutes to get used to the normal sounds in the Basement. Noah then heard voices coming from the stairs area and also heard two thumping noises, both of which could have come from outside the building.

At 8:25 pm, a “rocking” noise was heard from the north side of the building. At 8:30 pm, Allison heard a whimper sound, possibly from outside the building.

Allison had done research into the history of the building and shared her findings with the group. Allison advised that in 1887, a baker by the name of Frederick, died in the building. She further advised that a six year old boy died outside the building after being struck by a wagon in 1899.

At 8:41 pm, the owner and his girlfriend heard what they thought was a whisper, but was possibly an electronic sound.

At 8:43 pm, Noah suggested trying to debunk the sounds of footsteps and doors opening and closing that had been previously heard by people in the Basement. Noah walked up and down the stairs to the apartment above the restaurant several times. We were able to hear his footsteps but they were muffled. Noah then came into the restaurant and walked back and forth in the main aisle between the Bar and the stairs that lead to the Basement as this was where the owner had thought the noises were coming from. Noah ended this experiment at 9:00 pm and the owner stated that when Noah was walking in the restaurant is when the noises sounded most like when he heard the footsteps previously. We then went upstairs to take a brief break.

END TIME: 9:00 pm

1st Floor – 9:27 pm

At 9:27 pm, we proceeded to the 1st Floor to conduct an EVP session. We began the EVP session at 9:31 pm. Noah positioned himself on the stairs, John in the corner of the dining room area, Allison in front of Missy by the bar area near the front door, and everyone else was in the general bar area. We then observed controlled silence for approximately five minutes.

At 9:36 pm, an unidentified mechanical sound was heard. Noah went downstairs and determined that the cause of the sound was the ice machine draining. At 9:38 pm, we resumed our EVP session.

At 9:42 pm, everyone in the group heard a knocking sound. We were unable to determine the cause of it.

At 9:52 pm, one of the women went outside because she was feeling uncomfortably warm. The restaurant was very warm and humid inside. The owner was asked to ask questions in Spanish, since one of the families that was reported to have lived there, was someone with the surname of “Luna”.

At 10:07 pm, the owner felt cold on in his back area after asking several questions. It was determined this was the result of cold air flowing from an air vent located directly underneath where he was sitting. No other events occurred and we ended the EVP session at 10:10 pm.

END TIME: 10:10 pm

The group then decided to take a break outside and get some relief from the heat inside the restaurant. The team discussed what had occurred so far in the investigation and what the plan was next. The break concluded at 10:45 pm.

Basement – 10:50 pm

At 10:50 pm, we returned to the Basement. John positioned himself in the bar room area, Missy, on the stairs, Allison in the Dining Room with one of the women, Noah in the Bar Room, and the owner and the other woman in the Water Heater Room. During the controlled silence, talking and other noises from outside the building was heard by us in the Basement.

At 10:55 pm, an EVP session was conducted. John began asking questions and the owner continued the EVP session by asking the questions in Spanish.

At 11:00 pm, Noah, Missy, John, and Allison heard footsteps, which sounded like they were coming from the 1st Floor. Noah proceeded outside to the sidewalk area and was able to recreate the footstep sounds we heard. It would appear that it is probable that the reported sounds of footsteps heard above the Basement area could be the result of people walking on the sidewalk, just outside the building. There is an old coal chute that has been blocked up but appears to still be hollow underneath the sidewalk which creates an echo chamber.

No other events occurred during this session and we ended the EVP session at 11:16 pm.

END TIME: 11:16 pm

1st Floor – 11:20 pm

At 11:20 pm, we went to the 1st Floor to conduct another EVP session. John was positioned in the bar area by the air vent, Allison near the kitchen, Missy in the Bar Area, the owner at the top of the stairs, Noah at the Bar, and the remaining two ladies in the Dining Area. Nothing out of the ordinary was heard or experienced during this time.

We ended our investigation at 11:33 pm and began packing up so we could be out of the restaurant by midnight per the owner’s request.

Conclusion

While we did not obtain anything we could qualify as evidence, PIM greatly appreciates the opportunity to investigate the Cafe La Paloma. If continued activity occurs, we would welcome the opportunity to return for another investigation.

PIM would like to thank Allison Jornlin for the historical research she did on this investigation and for facilitating our getting this investigation. PIM would also like to thank the owner for allowing us into his restaurant to conduct the investigation.