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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase ending with her crossing the border into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, 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 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to persist on the highway and extend this chase,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

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

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

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

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

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for more support. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.