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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once the driver entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this chase,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the road by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

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

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

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