7 cited for being on closed Calif. freeway

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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The California Highway Patrol said seven pedestrians were ticketed early Sunday in Los Angeles for taking advantage of construction closures on Interstate 405.

The first citation came about 3 a.m. when a pedestrian was cited for trying to enter the northbound lanes of the freeway at Sunset Boulevard, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A newlywed couple were ticketed about 40 minutes later.

The two were "recently married and wanted to celebrate on the freeway," said officer Rick Quintero."Their wedding gift was a citation."

About 6 a.m., a group of four rollerbladers were seen exiting the highway near the Getty Center, Quintero said.

All seven people were cited, not arrested, for being pedestrians on a freeway, Quintero said.

CHP said earlier this week that there would be "zero tolerance" for pranksters on the closed highway.

"People are either going to get arrested or they're going to get cited," spokesman Ming-Yang Hsu said. "Our department was basically embarrassed by the shenanigans that occurred [last year] and people posting it all. Even though we were being lenient ... we're cutting that out now."