WORLD EXCLUSIVE:...UFOs Reported In Zapata County...Could David Hartley's Disappearance Be An Alien Abduction?...

By IGNATIUS BECERRA
Staff Writer

ZAPATA, Texas - Guarded authorities here are downplaying reports of unidentified flying objects buzzing nearby Falcon Lake in the dead of night, sightings that more than a few fearful residents believe may be connected to the recent murder of David Hartley. Many believe Hartley was abducted by space aliens, and not gunned down by Mexican drug cartel thugs, as has been reported in the press.

Hartley was supposedly shot last month by Mexican pirates who attacked him and his wife as they scooted across the popular lake's waters aboard Jet-skis. His body has never been found, even though his wife Tiffany told police she saw the attackers firing automatic weapons at her as she fled the brazen killing. Hartley's Jet-ski also has not been found.

Skittish cops here will not confirm the UFO sightings, and they are not ready to say Hartley was taken aboard the alien aircraft (shown in photo above) and whisked-off to some faraway planet. But talk to residents and be treated to stories of weird numbing sounds moving across the region late at night, and of lights streaking and then not streaking across the darkened Zapata County sky.

"They're here," said an old woman who said she has lived her entire life in the county. "I now know UFOs are real. And if you ask me, yes, it's very possible they took that young man from McAllen (Hartley). But don't expect our sheriff or anyone in town to say UFOs visit us, 'cause they always worry about our fishing tourism being hurt by any little, Ol' negative thing."

The object is described as a flying wing dark blue-black in color, with gigantic light orbs set below the wing's V-shaped areas. One eyewitness, who admitted he'd been drinking Tequila, reported hearing what sounded to him like "a reverb. You know, like on an electric guitar amplifier of the sort you see onstage." This latest UFO, he added, was his second such sighting.

"The other one was sort of cigar-shaped, man," he said. "It scared the Beejeezus out of me, cause it was, like, flying in on me and I thought I'd be beamed aboard. I was ready for it, but it scared the Hell out of me."

Dr. Alan Hynek, director of the government's Project Blue Book, which monitors UFO sightings, said, "As a scientist, I must be mindful of the past; all too often it has happened that matters of great value to science were overlooked because the new phenomenon did not fit the accepted scientific outlook of the time."

According to a spokesperson for the federal agency, Hynek was on his way to Falcon Lake with a team of department experts to take soundings of the lake bottoms and explore area treetops for burns. Mexican officials, meanwhile, also were expected to cooperate with the UFO expert. According to a source, Mexico cited a lack of any evidence in saying they believe David Hartley was likely abducted by a spaceship, and never was the victim of Mexican drug pushers. The Zapata County Sheriff's office declined to comment on the Hartley case, or on the reports of UFO sightings.

"Haven't seen'em muhself, nope," said a cigar-chomping man eating enchiladas at a local cafe...

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