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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California allegedly stole a minivan and engaged in a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken out of my house manager’s purse. I arrived right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident 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 local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the road by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m relieved aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

“This is a psychological and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” she added.