San Luis sightings continue

May 17, 1996

The greater San Luis Valley has been quietly experiencing a resumption of heightened levels of anomalous-appearing activity. Discs, huge flying barges, fireballs and red lights “bouncing off the ground” have all been reported this past fall and winter. Most of these events have not been publicized in the local media, but one event, on January 25, just after sunset, was videotaped by Center, Colo. resident James Armijo and reported by Mark Hunter in the Valley Courier.

As many readers know, the San Luis Valley has probably always been a hotbed of activity, yet very little photographic evidence has been obtained by area witnesses. This changed with Salida, Colo. resident Tom Edwards’ footage on Aug. 27, 1995. With all those camcorders out there, it’s inevitable that more quality footage be obtained.

The local press visited with James Armijo and his wife in Center, Feb. 7. Armijo, a gregarious man of 31, told Valley Courier reporter Mark Hunter and this gumshoe that he had been at his cousin’s home off Colo. 17, six miles north of Alamosa on Jan. 25 when, while standing in the yard, he noticed a bright silvery object hovering low over Green Mountain to the west.

He alerted his cousin and they watched it for several seconds. Armijo claims he suddenly remembered he had his video camera in his truck. He ran and grabbed it and immediately focused on the object that appeared to be disappearing over the mountains.

Much to his surprise, he noticed two more objects to the south hovering 5 to 10 degrees above the horizon. He focused in on one of them and as I watched the footage in fascination in his living room, he told me, “if you really look at it, you can see it spinning!” After pulling back to show both objects, he zoomed in on the third object. The footage ends with another shot of both objects.

Rewinding the footage, I scrutinized the close-up image of the second unusual object hovering on his videotape. “I was born and raised here and I’ve seen them all my life. I always look toward the sky,” said Armijo. He is convinced he will capture additional objects. “This is nothin’ bud, you wait and see what I get … I’m always looking.” He went on to describe two other sightings he and his wife had experienced in the prior two weeks that he had been unable to videotape. I asked his wife what she thought of the sightings. “I don’t want to believe, but I have to, I’ve seen them.”

Expert photographic analysis may give us some further insight into the objects Armijo captured on his camcorder. The footage will be analyzed by the Paramount Television program “Sightings.”
Christopher O’Brien
This article first appeared in the Crestone Eagle, April, 1996.

Christopher O’Brien lives in and has personally investigated and researched the San Luis Valley for five years. His book, “The Mysterious Valley,” St. Martin’s Press, will be published in mid-1996. He publishes a bi-monthly report concerning reports and analysis of anomalous activity reported in the San Luis Valley. For more information write: TMV, PO Box 223, Crestone, Colorado, 81131.