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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase culminating with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two female recovery residences, identified 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 taken from my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

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

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

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

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

Walters stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the car,” she remarked. “I’m relieved aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for more support. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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