A prank phone call between a brother and sister involving a bomb hoax led officials to block traffic in both directions on San Diego's busy Interstate 15 on Thanksgiving afternoon.
The freeway shutdown began around 2:45 p.m. at northbound and southbound I-15 near Miramar Way.
Lt. Lorenzo Ruano with the California Highway Patrol said a woman was driving on the freeway with a friend when she received a phone call from an unknown person, whose voice she did not recognize. The person on the other end told the woman there was a bomb in her car.
Lt. Ruano said the woman immediately pulled over by the center divide on northbound I-15, just south of the Miramar Way overpass, and called 911.
Authorities from multiple agencies, including the San Diego Fire-Rescue Bomb Squad, responded to the scene.
CHP officials immediately shut down the freeway in both directions. At one point, all southbound I-15 traffic was being diverted to Miramar Way westbound, while all northbound I-15 traffic was being diverted to State Route 52.
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As of 4:05 p.m., motorists north of State Route 163 were unable to access I-15, a CHP official confirmed. Kearny Villa was also closed off to traffic.
The incident quickly led to extremely heavy congestion in the area, with holiday drivers stuck at a bumper-to-bumper standstill as officials investigated the suspicious vehicle.
By 4:20 p.m., Bomb Squad officials with San Diego Fire-Rescue had arrived on scene. Authorities questioned the woman in the suspicious vehicle.
Police dogs were used to inspect the car. Lt. Ruano said the dogs acted in a manner that indicated there might be a bomb in the vehicle. Eventually, bomb investigators determined there was no bomb in the car.
By 5:25 p.m., fire department officials said all bomb squad units were picking up their equipment and preparing to clear the scene.
During all of the chaos, the brother who called in the bomb hoax called his sister back to apologize for the joke. Lt. Ruano said CHP investigators were there when the woman received the call from her older brother.
The woman was crying, and Lt. Ruano said CHP officials felt her reaction was genuine, and she had no idea it was her brother who made that first bomb hoax call.
CHP officials had the woman's brother come to the scene for questioning. Lt. Ruano said the man was very apologetic, but his remorse won't cut it.
By 5:45 p.m., officials said the brother had been arrested and would be booked into San Diego jail on felony charges.
CHP officials said the City Attorney or District Attorney will ultimately decide what happens next with the prankster. The siblings' names were not released by officials, but CHP did confirm they're both San Diego residents.
In all, CHP officials said northbound I-15 was shut down for two hours, while southbound I-15 was blocked off to heavy holiday traffic for approximately one hour.
By 6:10 p.m., all traffic lanes, connectors and ramps were open again in both directions.
Photo Credit: Jason Guinter