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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a police announcement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two female recovery residences, identified the alleged thief as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were taken out of my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the van about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop 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 CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation allowing individuals to continue to remain 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 road by authorities, as documented in aerial videos.

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 legal limitations.

Walters indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

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

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