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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her crossing the border into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were taken from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up right when it was happening,” she said, adding that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this pursuit,” commented a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” she added.