A driver in an allegedly stolen minivan led officers on a multi-county, hours-long chase Monday, eventually eluding arrest by driving into Mexico.
The silver Toyota Sienna minivan was reported stolen from the 1900 block of Hillcrest Drive in the Ventura County city of Thousand Oaks about 10:35 a.m., a Ventura County Sheriff's Office captain told City News Service.
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It was unclear if the address corresponded to a home or business.
About 20 minutes after getting the report, sheriff's deputies in Moorpark spotted the vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but the female driver did not stop, the captain said. The deputies chased her on the eastbound Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway and the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway, before turning the chase over to the California Highway Patrol once the vehicle crossed the Ventura (101) Freeway in Encino, the captain said.
From there, the chase continued on the southbound 405, through Orange County, onto Interstate 5 and into San Diego County.
Along the way, the driver avoided several attempts by officers to stop or slow the vehicle, which hit speeds in excess of 80 mph.
According to broadcast reports, the driver's mother contacted the California Highway Patrol to say the woman is not armed.
At about 1:30 p.m., the motorist reached the border and appeared to successfully drive into Mexico, effectively eluding capture and ending the pursuit.
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