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A female individual formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California allegedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

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

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried 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 pursuit continued into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

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

The suspect reportedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters stated on Tuesday that the vehicle 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 worried about the car,” she said. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The car is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse crisis,” Walters emphasized. “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.