In, Chihuahua, Mexico for over 80 years there was a mannequin known as La Pascualita, that may have been the embalmed daughter of the store's original owner.
In 1930 Chihuahua, Mexico, Pascuala Esparza Perales de Perez owned a small but fairly successful clothing store named La Popular that specialized in wedding dresses. She would often spend most of her days working at the store, ensuring everything was in perfect condition while greeting customers with a huge smile. According to locals, the only thing Pascuala loved more than her business was her daughter.
So it was no surprise that the store would close for a day as Pascuala took the day off for her daughter's wedding. But a few days later, the store was still closed. People began to get curious and started to worry about the usually happy and inviting Pascuala. Their curiosity turned to sorrow when they found out Pascuala's daughter had died moments before her wedding.
Her daughter had been stung by a scorpion taking refugee in her wedding dress and she collapsed on her way to the altar. Pascuala was devastated and many believed her store would never open back up.
A few weeks later on March 25th, 1930, the doors of El Popular opened and many flocked to the store to visit their heartbroken friend. To their shock, they were met with a joyful and happy Pascuala who simply stated her daughter would always be by her side.
Meanwhile, other locals were transfixed by the beauty of a new display in the window of the store. It was a brand new mannequin unlike any they had seen before yet it looked familiar.
Asking Pascuala where she got the life-like doll, she told them it was custom-made in Paris, France. Since March 25th was the Día de la Encarnación (The Feast of the Incarnation), Pascuala named the mannequin "La Chonita" as it's a nickname for Encarnacion.
But people were taken aback by just how life-like La Chonita looked, she had extremely detailed wrinkles on her hands, varicose veins on her legs, teary eyes, life-like skin, and real hair. It was then the locals realized La Chonita bore a striking resemblance to Pascuala's late daughter.
As the days went on and more learned of the life-like mannequin, the store experienced an influx of visitors specifically there to see the doll that resembled Pascuala's daughter. Soon they even gave La Chonita a new name, La Pascualita (little Pascuala). Rumors started to spread that a doll that detailed would be impossible to make and many questioned whether it was a doll to begin with.
One night after the store had closed, a taxi driver taking a break near the store spotted someone moving around inside. Peering through the window, he saw a beautiful woman in a wedding dress dancing in the dark, barely illuminated by the moonlight, and fell in love.
The following day he returned to the store wanting to ask Pascuala about the woman but he froze in terror when he realized the woman he saw, was La Pascualita.
It wasn't long before other stories were passed around, many claiming to see La Pascualita move her eyes, fingers, and even smile. Special attention was placed on the mannequin's hand that appeared to be aging as time went on.
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