Suspect chased by police for 170 miles through 4 California counties before escaping into Mexico

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — In Southern California, where police pursuits are common, this was one for the books.

A suspect in an allegedly stolen minivan led authorities on a two-hour, 170-mile (274-kilometer) chase through four counties Monday that ended with her escaping into Mexico, officials said.

The driver was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers when she reentered the country the next day. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office was due to take her into custody, and charges were pending.

It began around 11 a.m. when deputies responded to reports of a Toyota Sienna taken from outside a sober living home in Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

The deputies chased the vehicle at speeds reaching 90 mph (145 kph). The California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit as the minivan headed south on Interstate 405 into Los Angeles County.

TV news helicopters followed as the minivan swerved to avoid a spike strip that the CHP placed in its path. A second spike strip attempt also failed, and by noon the suspect had sped into Orange County on Interstate 5.

After the chase reached San Diego County, the CHP notified Customs and Border Protection just after 1 p.m. that the vehicle was nearing the border.

CHP units were called off from the pursuit on State Route 905 around 1:20 p.m. because of public safety concerns, a common practice for chases near the border to protect officers and motorists.

“We don’t want this car forcing its way through the entry, hurting other people,” CHP Sgt. Esteban Hernandez told the Los Angeles Times.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m., CHP officers were notified that the minivan had made its way through the San Ysidro crossing into Mexico, Hernandez said. She reentered through the same crossing Tuesday, the highway patrol said in a statement.

Officials at Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for additional details.

The suspect was identified as a 29-year-old woman who lived at the sober living facility.