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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 police chase ending with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was occurring,” she said, adding that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the van about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the 405 freeway heading south.

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

The suspect reportedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the vehicle was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” Walters said. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

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

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.