SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Over the years, Proctor Valley Road has developed quite a mysterious reputation. Urban legends and ghost stories shroud the area as people relayed spooky sightings to their friends and families.
Word of mouth created the allure, so ABC 10News decided to dig into where these stories originated.
To help 10News sort through what's real and what's not, reporter Madison Weil spoke with two paranormal researchers, one of whom grew up here in San Diego.
“I was always interested in local legends,” says Derrick Acosta. "Even if the monsters and the ghosts and the paranormal aspect isn't necessarily real, the people are real."
Acosta hosts a popular podcast, Mega Strange, with Johnny Weiss. The duo agreed to meet 10News out on Proctor Valley Road.
“So when we go down there, it’s going to be a tiny road. There’s not going to be any lights — it’s going to be pitch black," Acosta says. "They say there are ghosts. Some people say ghouls."
Proctor Valley Road is essentially a dirt path, about five miles longs, that connects Eastlake and Jamul. The legends date back decades.
Although the sign at the top of the road indicates it's a natural resource area, reporter Madison Weil quickly realized it wouldn't be a picturesque scene.
"I believe there's a lake nearby," Acosta says. "Some graffiti here... I guess the monster was out here tagging his territory."
According to Acosta and Weiss, two of the most popular urban legends here include the Proctor Valley Monster and the Phantom, or Haunted, Headlights.
Legend has it the headlights will run you off the road.
"You guys see that?" Weil asked.
"Who would be out here at night?" Acosta replied.
At this point, Weil says she was a little spooked; however, the bizarre lights turned out to be some nighttime hikers.
The next unusual thing they came across was a bone dry, abandoned boat.
"We’re no where near water and we have this," says Acosta.
"Makes you wonder," says Weil.
Rather than investigating further, the group decided to keep things chugging along.
The paranormal podcasters thought the best move to make next was to locate the haunted tree.
"So according to the legend, and every city has this story, some young lovers came down here — maybe the car broke down, maybe it ran out of gas — for whatever the reason, the boyfriend stepped out of the car and vanished," Acosta says. "When she finally got out of the car, she found her missing boyfriend suspended from the branches of this tree — the culprit is the Proctor Valley monster!"
This is the part of the night when 10News decided fact checking was necessary.
Wendy Wilson, the executive director of the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center, offered her perspective on the urban legends.
“The origin of the Proctor Valley Monster that we know of is around 1947," Wilson says.
Wilson says the legend of the monster began with two middle school boys who lived on nearby dairy farms in the late 1940s. She says they came across a dead calf on the road, and started spreading a rumor about a monster.
“They went back to their middle school and spread the rumor. They went to the Bonita Store they went everywhere," she says. "It’s almost like these stories have grown from the initial story and now they encompass bright lights and chupacabras."
Weil also asked Wilson if there was any historical evidence for the other tall tales surrounding Proctor Valley.
“We don’t have any specific proof that anything else has really happened on this road," Wilson says. "It’s more of a feeling when people come in. They’ll say they have a feeling when they go on Proctor Valley Road… and it’s an eerie feeling."
Weil continued her journey with the podcasters, and they came across an ominous sign, reading "keep out," filled with bullet holes.
An animal's jawbone was placed on the gate near the sign.
"My question is who is just finding animal skulls and placing them on the trail?" Weil says.
"Good question… maybe the Proctor Valley monster, hopefully?" Weiss says.
What happened next was the scariest moment of the night from Weil's point of view.
A pair of headlights approached, and a white pickup truck pulled up and parked next to the 10News car.
"Next thing I know, all I see is a man in a dark mask, with a gun on his hip," Weil recounts. "He starts talking to Ray, my photographer, and I think 'This is it. This is the end for us.'"
Turns out, it was a Border Patrol agent.
The combination of the bullet holes, bones and Border Patrol gave Weil the creeps, and she decided she'd have enough of Proctor Valley Road.
While 10News' account of the Proctor Valley stories ends here, the legends, of course, live on.
“In my opinion, there are certain places all over the world that have a vibe or an energy to them," Acosta says. "I do think there’s a common shared experience that people have where they can look at one another and say 'This is spooky, right?'”
Perhaps that's what this is all about: The shared experience of being spooked.
“I think we could convince ourselves that there’s nothing creepy going on in these places, but it’s more fun to leave the door open — like maybe — maybe it’s true," Acosta says.
