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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen out of my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Several Regions

Authorities located the van about 12 miles north in Simi Valley, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing individuals to continue to remain on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

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

International Getaway and Aftermath

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

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

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

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.