---
title: "Ariel Fernández’s Caged Duende Photographs — Chimbas, San Juan, Argentina — August 2009"
url: "https://usubjects.com/article/ariel-fernndezs-caged-duende-photographs-chimbas-san-juan-argentina-august-2009-4611"
updated: "2026-11-06T16:06:12.828Z"
description: "A Reddit post presents photographs attributed to Ariel Fernández, reportedly showing a small, human-like figure described as a “duende” inside a cage in Chimbas, San Juan, Argentina, in August 2009. The post provides no independent verification or additional context establishing what the images depict."
sources: ["https://alienarchivist.substack.com/p/caged-duende"]
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# Ariel Fernández’s Caged Duende Photographs — Chimbas, San Juan, Argentina — August 2009

Published: 2026-11-06  
Source: [r/aliens](https://alienarchivist.substack.com/p/caged-duende)

### Reported Encounter

Photographs attributed to **Ariel Fernández**, a resident of Lote Hogar 38 in Chimbas, San Juan, Argentina, have renewed interest in a 2009 local story involving an alleged small humanoid creature described as a *duende*, or goblin. According to the account, Fernández, then 31, claimed he captured the figure in August 2009 and kept it temporarily inside a birdcage at his home.

The photographs show Fernández alongside a caged, human-like figure, although the available material does not independently establish what the images depict. The images’ provenance, original publication history and authenticity have not been verified through forensic analysis, contemporaneous records or statements from independent investigators. The account is presented through a Reddit post and a later archival compilation rather than through a documented scientific or official inquiry.

### The Alleged Capture

Fernández reportedly said he encountered the creature behind the Pocito cemetery, near his workplace, approximately two weeks before Argentine newspapers began reporting the story on **August 26 and 27, 2009**. He claimed that he threw a jacket over the figure and transported it to his home in Chimbas.

Witnesses quoted in the account described the alleged being as approximately **30 to 35 centimeters tall**, green in color, with pointed ears and four fingers on each hand. Neighbors also reportedly said it moved sideways, produced grunting noises and occasionally emitted loud cries at night. Those sounds allegedly caused nearby dogs to bark, but no audio recordings or formal witness documentation are included in the source material.

### Life Inside the Cage

According to Fernández’s sister, Vanesa, the family kept the cage inside an old **Renault 6** parked behind the house, occasionally moving it into the dining room when visitors arrived. The family reportedly offered it bread, meat and water. Fernández said it consumed only pieces of chicken skin.

The story also became a neighborhood attraction. Visitors allegedly paid between **five and 50 Argentine pesos** to enter the home and see or photograph the creature. The reported circulation of cellphone images and informal visits helped spread the account before it reached local newspapers. However, the available summary does not identify the newspapers, name the reporters involved or provide original articles that could clarify how the claims were assessed at the time.

### Release and Police Visit

Fernández later claimed that he released the creature near the Pocito cemetery roughly one week before the press coverage. He reportedly said growing crowds had overwhelmed the family and that the figure’s eyes had turned red, making it appear distressed or angry.

Police visited the Fernández residence on **August 25, 2009**, following reports from neighbors, but the alleged creature was no longer there. The source does not indicate that officers recovered physical evidence, interviewed the figure’s alleged witnesses in a formal investigation or confirmed that an unidentified animal or person had been kept at the property.

### Assessment of the Evidence

The Chimbas account fits within a broader Latin American tradition of stories about *duendes*—small supernatural beings often associated with rural areas, cemeteries and nighttime encounters. Such folklore can shape how ambiguous images, unusual animals or staged displays are interpreted. In this case, the photographs remain the principal visual evidence, and their contents cannot be conclusively identified from the supplied material alone.

**No independent verification is provided** for the creature’s alleged biology, the circumstances of its capture or its release. Until original news reports, unedited photographs, witness interviews or other contemporaneous documentation become available, the episode is best described as an unverified local legend rather than evidence of an unknown species or paranormal entity.

## Provenance

This USUBJECTS page is a summary or digest of the linked original source. Any accompanying generated visual is an illustrative reconstruction, not evidence.