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A female individual previously residing at a female recovery facility in California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a police announcement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“My keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the CHP once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing drivers to persist on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

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

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

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

“The recovery process can be messy,” she added.