KFOX14 goes ghost hunting at the Double Eagle in Old Mesilla; what did we find?

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — You may be familiar with the Double Eagle Restaurant in Old Mesilla, New Mexico for its delicious steaks or rich history, but what you may not know is that it’s believed to be haunted for more than a century.

In a special Halloween story here on KFOX14, reporter Lianna Golden went ghost hunting with the KFOX14 crew at the Double Eagle to see what they could find.

"The Double Eagle was actually a home. It was built in 1849 after the Spanish-American war. This was kind of an older hacienda," said Chelsea Scott, the Office Manager at the Double Eagle.

Scott spoke to KFOX14 in the Carlotta Room, otherwise known as the "ghost room."

"This is actually the site of the double murder that happened here at the Double Eagle," said Scott.

On the wall of the Carlotta Room, sits two portraits of the original owners of the home.

It’s said that the owners' son, Armando, couldn’t help but fall in love with one of the family’s servants, Inez.

The tale says that the relationship didn't sit well with Armando's mother.

"You know being teenagers, and I guess Inez being a servant, mom was not having the fact that her son was kind of dating a servant," Scott explained.

It's said that one afternoon, the mom got home and found Inez and Armando together in the Carlotta Room.

In a rage, she grabbed a pair of scissors, attacking Inez and stabbing her own son, Armando, in the struggle.

"Inez died in this room that night, and Armando three days later in this room," said Scott.

It said that it was that night that everything changed at the Double Eagle.

"Their presence is definitely very much felt," said Scott.

"Some nights it is creepier than others," said Michael Padilla, the Food Service Manager at the Double Eagle.

Armando and Inez are said to keep both employees and customers entertained with things like:

"Teenage pranks since they were teenagers," said Scott. "Objects moving from here to there, lights turning off, footsteps."

Golden: "Have you had experiences with the ghosts?"

Padilla: "Oh, quite a few actually. I’m really manage in the evenings, so I'm always here later with the ghosts."

It turns out, KFOX14 was no exception to the ghosts' presence as Golden and the crew began their investigation.

They began calling out for the ghosts with a REM-pod sitting in the middle of the table.

A REM-pod is a device used in paranormal investigations; it makes a beeping noise when there is spirit activity, indicating that ghosts are communicating with you.

"Armando, Inez come join us," said Scott, calling out to the ghosts.

The flights then flickered, without anyone touching them.

"It got really cold," said Scott.

"Yeah, it did," said Golden.

When we asked Armando and Inez to tell us what happened to them, the REM-pod beeped for several seconds without pause or delay.

Golden then went in the Carlotta room alone and turned off all the lights to continue the investigation solo.

Suddenly, an orb flew by on a night vision camera.

A few seconds later, another flew by as well.

At one point, Golden said she saw a shadow hanging over one of the chairs sitting in the corner of the room, but the shadow disappeared when the lights turned on.

"It’s said that these are the ghost lovers' chairs, and they don’t like when you sit in them," said Scott. "A lot of people have reported nightmares after sitting in them."

While investigating, the KFOX14 crew witnessed another orb fly by them, and the chandeliers were moving without anyone touching them.

The REM-pod also continuously beeped without anyone touching it, and the temperature dropped unexpectedly several times.

There is also a different smell in the Carlotta room compared to the rest of the restaurant.

"That was crazy," said Golden. "There’s definitely something in here."

The Double Eagle has the entire ghost history posted on its website. To read it in full, click here.

The Double Eagle is located in the heart of Old Mesilla and is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

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