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A female individual formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson allegedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

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

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated 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 car,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease aware 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, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.