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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California allegedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged law enforcement pursuit culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates 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.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the road by police, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” she said. “I’m more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction crisis,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

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