SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - He says he's sorry. The man accused of causing a Thanksgiving traffic snarl with a prank gone bad is now telling his side of the story.
He spoke on camera Thursday to CBS Bews 8's Phil Blauer about what went wrong.
The 28-year-old father of three says he never imagined his 27-year-old sibling Dede would take the calls seriously about a bomb being placed in her car, then pull over and call 911, causing the massive traffic jam that lasted nearly three hours while the bomb squad searched for explosives.
"It was intended to just be a joke between me and my sister. In no way did I mean to involve half of San Diego," he said.
Authorities eventually traced the messages to the truck driver, who was called to the scene, arrested on felony charges and put into a patrol car. He's been behind bars for seven days and was released Thursday morning while the city attorney reviews his case, which is now a misdemeanor.
"Some people in jail thought it was pretty funny, some people thought it was dumb," he said.
Dede Diaz says she's not planning on any payback for the prank, which gave her an anxiety attack. She's hoping her brother has learned his lesson.
"This was something that went a little too overboard. Like I said, if I'd have known it was him none of this would have happened. I was beyond scared," she said.
We don't know how long it will take the city attorney's office to review Diaz's case. It's possible he could have to pay back the emergency responders' costs for the incident, or he may be let completely off the hook.