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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California allegedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her crossing the border into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car 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 an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“The keys were taken out of my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once Wilson entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions enabling individuals to persist on the freeway and extend this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The chase finally arrived at the international border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was located 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 vehicle,” she said. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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