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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California allegedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a police announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle 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 taken out of my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” she said. “I’m more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The car is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction crisis,” she said. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.