[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]s there life after death?
Victor Huesca thinks so. Born and raised in East Los Angeles, the DIY Mexican American paranormal investigator has spent more than a decade searching for the answer to this existential question. Having visited dozens of haunted locations around L.A. and around the country, he’s produced a few ghost hunting videos on Youtube documenting his paranormal journey.
His latest series is titled Barrier Beyond and it is focused on investigating haunted places in Los Angeles, with an element of true crime. He's investigated a vacant church in East Los Angeles where he's captured the voice of a disembodied voice on camera, he's filmed an inhuman growl the Devil's Gate Dam, and he's lived through an intense abandoned asylum in Downey.
L.A. Taco caught up with Huesca this Halloween season to find out what made him make the leap from enjoying scary movies to looking for ghosts himself in real life, how you can do an investigation yourself, and what he considers to be one of the most active paranormal sites in Los Angeles.
L.A. Taco: How the hell did you get into horror?
Victor Huesca: It all started when I was a kid. My family would get together, and one of the main topics that always came up in conversations was ghost stories. While my cousins would play inside the jumper, I’d stay with the adults and listen to their ghost stories. It would scare me, but it attracted me, too. From there, I started watching “Tales From The Crypt,” “Unsolved Mysteries,” and “Creepshow.” My very first horror movie as a kid that made me fall in love with the genre was “The Exorcist.” My uncle first showed it to me when I was about six years old, and it scared the hell out of me, but I loved it. That’s how the love of horror started for me.
Where is your family from, and where did you grow up?
My family is from East Los Angeles, and I grew up here as well. I’ve lived here my whole life. I’ve thought about moving out, but I love Los Angeles way too much. I feel we’re spoiled here with all that it has to offer.
What does your family think of you being a hardcore horror fan?
They’re used to it now. Before my family would give me a hard time about it, especially with the whole ghost hunting ordeal, they think I’m nuts. My room is like a mini horror museum, but it is the highlight whenever family comes over.
When did you start investigating the paranormal?
When I was around 20 years old, I started to venture into haunted locations; I only had a night-vision camera with me. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew it was something that I definitely wanted to continue doing. It’s not until you finally capture some evidence of what you’re looking for that gives you that drive and motivation, and once you get a taste of it, you don’t want to stop.
What made you make the jump from a horror fan and enthusiast to the actual investigator?
My dad passed away when I was a little kid, and I always wondered where his soul went. I started to think about where will I go when I die? There were all these questions I couldn’t answer. That’s when my curiosity opened up to the world of the paranormal. As I got older, it somewhat became more than a hobby, kind of like an obsession as weird as that sounds. It’s become a passion of mine to seek what is waiting for us on the other side. I’m sure I’ll never have the facts, but I can for sure tell you there is life after death from personal experiences and from what I’ve captured.
Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles is, for sure, a location that has always given me the creeps.
How many places have you investigated in L.A?
I’d say I’ve done most of the infamous locations here in LA. I recently investigated Devils Gate Dam in Pasadena. That place is no joke! It’s definitely on my list of most haunted places I’ve been to. What I experienced there was something that truly terrified me. But I’d go back in a heartbeat. Locations that leave a mark on me are the places I’m afraid of and places that I try to push my limits to capture even more evidence of ghosts.
What would you say are the most active spaces in Los Angeles?
Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles is, for sure, a location that has always given me the creeps. I’ve captured some good evidence at a hotspot called “the devil’s wall” in the central mausoleum. There are some really heavy vibes around that wall. It’s supposedly a portal to hell, and I wouldn’t doubt it with all the satanic figures it has. You can see goat-headed figures and skulls forming into what looks like a portal. It’s pretty intense stuff.
You have a show on Youtube now called Barrier Beyond. What does the name mean, and what is it about?
To me, it means crossing paths with the unknown and stepping into another world from the great beyond. I’ve always done ghost hunting videos, but I wanted to add some variety to my episodes this time around. I try to include some true crime and morbid stories. I did an episode on the late child actress Judith Eva Barsi, who did the Ducky voice in “The Land Before Time.” Her father murdered her while she slept. It’s a tragic story. I visited the location of her gravesite and also visited the house where the murder-suicide took place. It’s the most-watched video I’ve done. People are fascinated by death.
Why do you think there aren't more Latinos in the paranormal or horror media space?
The horror community is very diverse. I’ve made many great friends from all types of different backgrounds at horror conventions. I think when it comes to the paranormal shows, it’s less mainstream when it comes to other ethnicities, but it depends really on where or who you’re following on YouTube or watching it on cable TV.
If someone wanted to do their basic paranormal investigation, what do they need, and how should they do it?
I have different types of equipment I use, but if you want to go basic, in my opinion, all you need is a camera and a digital recorder. I captured so much with both. I love capturing EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon) more than anything else, believe it or not. Don’t get me wrong, capturing a full-on body apparition is the holy grail, but there’s something about capturing a disembodied voice that just gives me a different feel. Hearing the voices of someone who used to be alive is just groundbreaking.
What advice do you have for other people of color who want to become paranormal enthusiasts?
Go for it! If it’s your passion and it’s something you want to pursue, let nothing hold you back.
What is your dream or long term goal with paranormal investigation?
My all-time dream is to travel around the world and investigate the creepiest places. My long term goal is to keep making Barrier Beyond for those who enjoy it as long as I can. It puts a smile on my face when people tell me they enjoy what I do, which motivates me to keep going.
So can someone hire you to come to investigate the chamucos in their house?
I’d love to! I’ve only done a couple of house hauntings, but those are always very interesting.
Follow Victor Huesca and his paranormal activities on Instagram.
