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

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was happening,” she said, adding that the minivan is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities tracked the van about 19 kilometers north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

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

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

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner stated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This represents a mental health and substance abuse crisis,” she said. “We need additional assistance. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.