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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the border into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, 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 an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen out of my house manager’s purse. I arrived right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing individuals to persist on the highway and extend this pursuit,” commented a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by police, as documented in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters indicated on the following day 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 said. “I’m relieved 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 October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This is a psychological and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

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