🔗 Share this article

A female individual previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a police announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two female recovery residences, 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 facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

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

The suspect reportedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to retrieve it.

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

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living 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,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

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