PIKESVILLE, Md. (AP) - It's not just a bad dream or imaginations
gone wild because police have captured the middle-of-the-night
mystery on videotape - and they're as baffled as everyone else.
Deafening blasts accompanied by blinding split-second flashes of
light have been rattling residents of one neighborhood of this
Baltimore suburb for months.
Elaine O'Mansky says she has heard the noise 25 times since
September, always between midnight and dawn. She says the
accompanying flash is bright enough to light up her bedroom.
Barbara Friedman says the first time she heard the blast she
thought someone was shooting at her.
Police officers Vickie Warehime and J. Posluszny Jr. said the
department set up cameras and recorded the phenomena last week, but
didn't detect anyone in the area.
The recorded flash lit up an area the size of a football field.
Based on shadows, police believe the light source was in the air
about 30 feet above the ground near the Beth Tfiloh Community
School.
Utility workers have found no electrical problems or gas leaks
that could explain the mystery.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-04-29-08 1020EDT