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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were stolen out of my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities located the van about 12 miles 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 continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway heading south.

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

The suspect reportedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters stated on the following day that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” she remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a mental health and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need more support. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

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