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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly stole a minivan and engaged in a prolonged police chase culminating with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement statement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities 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, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“My keys were stolen out of my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the road by police, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

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

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” Walters remarked. “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 last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for more support. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“The recovery process can be messy,” she added.