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A woman previously residing 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 international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

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 car key. Walters, who operates two female recovery residences, identified the alleged thief as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

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

Wilson allegedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the road by police, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on Tuesday that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

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

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.