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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and engaged in a hours-long law enforcement pursuit culminating with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“The keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up right when it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, 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 LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this chase,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

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

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters indicated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need more support. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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