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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California reportedly stole a minivan and engaged in a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

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

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials located the van about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the context of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this pursuit,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the road by police, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit 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 Tuesday that the vehicle was situated 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 aware she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction crisis,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

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