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A female individual formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a police announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the van about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the context of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer 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 finally arrived at the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters stated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” she said. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need more support. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“The recovery process can be messy,” Walters concluded.