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A female individual formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and engaged in a hours-long law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were taken from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the van about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the road by police, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the CHP to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner stated on Tuesday that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” she said. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

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

“This is a mental health and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.