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A female individual previously residing at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged law enforcement pursuit culminating with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, 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 manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

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

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the road by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the authorities to retrieve it.

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

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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