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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California allegedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two female recovery residences, named the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Officials located the van about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the context of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to persist on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

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

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

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 mental health and substance abuse crisis,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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