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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a police statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“My keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was happening,” she said, adding that the minivan is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities tracked the van about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to persist on the highway and prolong this chase,” commented a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the road by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” she said. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse crisis,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

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