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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long police chase culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“The keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 19 kilometers north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation allowing individuals to continue to remain on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the road by police, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

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

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

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

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.