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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long law enforcement pursuit 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, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two female recovery residences, named the suspect as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“The keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers 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 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the CHP once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions enabling individuals to continue to remain on the freeway and extend this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

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

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

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This represents a mental health and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.