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A female individual previously residing at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long law enforcement pursuit culminating with her traveling across the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“My keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was happening,” she said, noting that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing drivers to persist on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by police, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a mental health and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” she added.