SAN ANTONIO – Scenarios that might make some people shudder are exactly the type that get members of a "ghost-hunting" group, called San Antonio Dead Seekers, going.
After hearing news that Guillermo's, a popular downtown restaurant, was haunted, Junior Esquivel and his fellow S.A.D.S. members had to investigate.
"This is our SLS camera. It picks up figures that we can't see," Esquivel said, showing off a critical tool of his trade.
Late one recent night, he and six other members of S.A.D.S. spent time inside the business.
They had read about the ghost, which Guillermo's restaurant boasts about on its website.
Employees of the restaurant also are quick to relate their own experiences with what seems like an otherworldly practical joker.
"Things being moved. Things being knocked over," said Precious Hernandez, who often works the night shift.
Sylvia Perales often hears footsteps in otherwise empty rooms.
"I normally assume it's a cook walking up behind me," she said. "I'll feel the footsteps and I'll naturally scoot over, so they can walk on by. And it turns out that there's nothing there."
Wanting to determine for sure whether there is something—or someone—haunting the business, Esquivel and his group set up their gear, hoping to record proof.
They later shared their findings with KSAT 12 News.
In one scene, their video shows members repeatedly imploring the ghost to make its presence known.
"Sit down in this chair, so we can see you," one woman can be heard saying.
Following that, amid a burst of static, came what sounded like a reply, a tiny voice saying, "No."
Esquivel also showed several other clips that he says contained disembodied voices saying things like, "Get out! Stay out!" and "I'm gonna get you."
He said they collected visual evidence of a spirit presence as well in the form of glowing orbs.
"Whatever's there is attached to that house," Esquivel said.
In fact, he said his group detected two different ghosts.
He agreed with employees the presence he felt within the main section of the restaurant appears to be friendly.
"It's not there to hurt anybody. It's not there to scare anybody," Esquivel said. "When we go upstairs, that's a different story."
He said he got an ominous feeling when he walked into a catering room toward the back of the property.
"I feel like that energy will scare the crap out of you to get you to leave," he said.
Esquivel said his own experiences with ghosts as a teen sparked his interest in the supernatural.
The group, which he helped to create, is actually in its second go-round.
It is made up mostly of relatives and extended family members, Esquivel said.
When he's not chasing the spirits of dead people, Esquivel might be saving lives.
He has worked as a volunteer firefighter since he was 16 years old.
"What I live for is to help people whether they're living or not," Esquivel said.
You can see more of the group’s findings on the San Antonio Dead Seekers’ YouTube channel by clicking here.