Drones over SoCal? Strange lights seen hovering over Temecula leave residents puzzled

TEMECULA, Calif. (KABC) -- Strange lights flying over Southern California have some people wondering whether drones are watching their communities.

A video posted on social media shows strange lights hovering over Old Town Temecula.

Damon Angel, who goes by the name Nomad, said he's been watching them since last week and recorded a video Tuesday night.

"There was a couple that were like really close, and they were about the size of a car," he said. "Everybody keeps saying that. It's probably getting annoying now, like they're not little and they move really fast."

Eyewitness News cannot confirm what the videos show, but found several people who said they saw similar lights, like Therese Downing, who watch from her home.

"These three lights that were in a sort of triangle kind of formation, an odd looking thing, and I'm thinking that doesn't look like a plane ... started flying erratically," said Downing.

Witnesses at first thought it was aircraft heading to nearby Camp Pendleton.

"You can hear them and you couldn't hear this thing," said Downing.

Angel said he's uneasy after seeing five zip over toward the Pacific Ocean.

"It's just kind of scary to think like, 'Who is watching?' and the fact that we contacted the sheriff's and the Murrieta PD commented on a post of mine, nobody knows who they are," he said.

This comes after reports of similar sightings this month in New Jersey, which are now under investigation by local, state and federal authorities.

A spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration told ABC7 the activity in the northeast has more people looking up and noticing what is flying overhead, adding:

"Pilots don't need special permission from the FAA to fly drones provided they operate as recreational flyers or under the FAA's Small UAS Rule, and follow all the applicable provisions. Unless drones are breaking rules or regulations, they are not investigated."

An FBI spokesperson said they'll work with their local counterparts and the FAA should any reports come their way.

A spokesperson with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said they were not aware of reports filed about drone sightings and Murriet police said the same, but both said they are looking into the matter.