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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 ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, 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 juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is very unique in the context of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the road by authorities, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” she said. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a mental health and substance abuse crisis,” she said. “We need more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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