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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California allegedly 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 Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a police announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

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

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the operation to the CHP once the driver entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the context of the traffic conditions allowing individuals to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this pursuit,” said a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by police, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

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

The vehicle owner stated on Tuesday that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

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

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need more support. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.