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A female individual previously residing at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase ending with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement statement, 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. The owner, 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 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“My keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by authorities, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

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

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the car,” Walters said. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The car is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

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

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