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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California reportedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two female recovery residences, named 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 taken from my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was occurring,” she said, adding that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing drivers to persist on the highway and prolong 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 roadway by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters stated on Tuesday that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the car,” she remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

“This is a psychological and substance abuse crisis,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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