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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long police chase culminating with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, 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 suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was occurring,” she said, noting that the minivan is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the van about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h 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 the driver entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation enabling drivers to persist on the highway and extend this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters stated on the following day that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and emotional distress is not always linear.

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

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