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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 ending with her crossing the border into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I arrived right when it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the CHP once the driver entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the context of the traffic conditions enabling individuals to continue to remain on the freeway and extend this chase,” commented a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters stated on the following day that the minivan was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” Walters remarked. “I’m relieved aware she wasn’t hurt. The car is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

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

“The recovery process can be messy,” Walters concluded.