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A female individual formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged law enforcement pursuit culminating with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up right when it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the pursuit proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

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

The suspect allegedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the international border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters stated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana 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 relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “We need more support. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.