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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and engaged in a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two female recovery residences, named 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 manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials located the van about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at 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 the following day that the vehicle was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the car,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need more support. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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