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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the border into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a police statement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities located the van about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

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

Owner’s Perspective

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

“This represents a psychological and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” she added.