Woman holding flare gun steps out of her car on 55 freeway in Costa Mesa, briefly shutting southbound lanes

A woman caused a brief shutdown Wednesday of southbound lanes of the 55 freeway in Costa Mesa after she stopped her car and called 911, claiming she was armed and knew the identity of a killer in Texas, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol closed all the lanes near Del Mar Avenue at around 12:30 p.m, shortly after the woman stopped her car on the freeway.

“She parked at the center divider, she called 911 and said she wanted her story to be told,” said CHP Officer Florentino Olivera.

When officers arrived they saw she had a sign on her car making a claim about the identity of an I-45 killer in Texas, Olivera said.

The identity of the woman was not immediately clear.

The woman was armed with a flare gun. Caltrans camera images showed the woman standing in the freeway lane outside the driver’s side of the car.

Olivera said officers talked to her for a while until they persuaded her to walk to them. She gave up the flare gun and was taken into custody.

The lanes were reopened at about 1 p.m.

No injuries were reported. Olivera said the woman likely will be taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation.