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A female individual formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase ending with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two female recovery residences, named the alleged thief as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were stolen out of my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” she said, adding that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

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

The suspect allegedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by police, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters 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 retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about 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 run the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

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

“The recovery process can be messy,” she added.