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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase ending with her crossing the border into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two female recovery residences, named the alleged thief as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up right when it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the van about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” commented a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” she remarked. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a mental health and substance abuse crisis,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” she added.