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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“My keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once the driver entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the road by police, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to 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 recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the car,” she said. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The car is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

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

“The recovery process can be messy,” she added.