Dear Cherubs,

Forget haunted houses, creepy dolls and things going bump in the night. Sometimes the real Halloween horror show happens in a taco shop, involves a rotating tower of meat and comes with a Slipknot soundtrack. And, apparently, even the person responsible for cleaning up isn’t sticking around to investigate.

A taco vendor in García, Nuevo León, Mexico, reportedly experienced an unsettling incident in early October when what appeared to be an ordinary end-of-shift cleaning session took an unexpected turn. Security camera footage from the Privada Alamedas neighbourhood captured the moment, and it’s certainly an unusual contender for this year’s Halloween entertainment.

The worker was cleaning the metal cooking surface with a spatula when the nearby trompo, the traditional vertical spit used to prepare tacos al pastor, suddenly began rotating. At least, that’s what the footage appears to show.

The vendor immediately stopped cleaning, dropped his spatula and stepped backwards. Rather than attempting to establish whether the equipment had developed a mind of its own, he reached for his mobile phone and switched off the music playing in the background.

And here’s the detail that makes the whole scene even more entertaining: the soundtrack was reportedly Slipknot.

When the Meat Starts Moving

For anyone unfamiliar with the band, Slipknot are known for their heavy metal sound, theatrical performances and distinctive dark imagery. It’s not exactly the soundtrack most people would choose for a relaxing evening cleaning a kitchen.

Whether the music added to the atmosphere or was simply an unfortunate coincidence is another question. There is certainly no evidence that playing heavy metal has supernatural consequences. Your Spotify playlist can remain untouched.

According to reports published by Azteca and other Mexican media outlets, the incident didn’t end with the rotating trompo. A white jug also reportedly fell from its position, adding another unexpected moment to the recording.

The worker’s reaction was understandable. There’s a considerable difference between finishing your shift and unexpectedly feeling as though you’ve wandered into a low-budget paranormal investigation.

Ghosts, Halloween and Unanswered Questions

As the footage circulated online, viewers began debating what might have happened. Some interpreted the movements as possible paranormal activity, while others suggested a mechanical explanation, an accident or even a staged incident.

At present, there is no independently verified evidence establishing a supernatural cause. The recording captures unusual movements, but it cannot tell us whether an unseen force, an equipment malfunction or something less mysterious was responsible.

And that’s precisely where the Halloween connection comes in.

October is the season when ghost stories, unexplained footage and supernatural speculation receive their annual promotion. This particular recording seems tailor-made for the occasion, combining an apparently moving object, an alarmed worker and music that wouldn’t feel out of place in a horror film.

Of course, there’s also a more practical lesson here: perhaps restaurants should consider including paranormal activity in their closing checklists. Clean the grill, switch off the music, secure the equipment and politely ask any invisible customers to leave before locking up.

For more unusual viral stories, entertaining fails and curious happenings, visit thisclaimer.com or explore the Thisclaimer YouTube channel.

As for the alleged ghost, we have one question: was it actually trying to scare the taquero, or was it simply waiting for its tacos al pastor?

Either way, this Halloween, somebody might want to leave an extra portion on the counter.

Sources and fact-checking

The incident details are reported by Mexican media, including:

• Azteca Michoacán — Report of the alleged paranormal incident
• Telemundo — Video report of the taco vendor
• Infobae — Coverage of the rotating al pastor spit
• La Voz de Ciénega — Coverage and discussion of possible explanations
• Pexels — Free featured photograph by Abner Velázquez
• Thisclaimer — Thisclaimer
• Thisclaimer YouTube — Thisclaimer channel