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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 prolonged police chase culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who manages two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as one of the residents at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“My keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the highway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson reportedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about 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 substance abuse and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse crisis,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.