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

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the freeway and prolong this chase,” commented a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by police, as documented in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

Walters stated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the authorities to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” Walters remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

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

“This represents a mental health and addiction crisis,” she said. “We need more support. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.