The California Highway Patrol began chasing what they believed to be a stolen minivan late on Monday morning, and followed it through a wide swath of Southern California before it made its way to the border crossing in San Ysidro and passed into Mexico.
According to the CHP, the car was stolen in Moorpark at 10:35 a.m. The pursuit started in Ventura County, where authorities said, a woman in a gray Toyota Sienna minivan refused to stop and the pursuit began. The chase then went through L.A. and Orange counties, eventually making it to San Juan Capistrano at around 12:15 p.m.
By 12:40, the minivan had made it down the Las Pulgas Road in Camp Pendleton. At about that time, NBC 4’s chopper turned around and headed back north, while NBC San Diego’s SkyRanger 7 helicopter flew northwest to intercept the pursuit.
For the most part, the driver stayed in their lane, with plenty of traffic — trucks and motorcycles and cars —moving south on Interstate 5 right alongside them, but, at some points, the minivan weaved through lanes, passing everyone on the freeway.
Shortly after 1 p.m., the minivan approached the I-5/I-805 split and headed inland on the 805, where it passed state Route 52 quickly, continuing on its way south. Not long after, in the North Park area, traffic become much heavier, slowing the chase, which, heading south, led it toward the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the end of the 805
Many, many police vehicles — both SUVs and motorcycles — traveled down the I-805 with the minivan as it made its way through Chula Vista, passing Olympic Parkway by 1:20 p.m.
About five minutes later, the minivan made it to the border and crossed into Mexico, officials aboard the San Diego County ASTREA helicopter confirmed. It’s not yet known if the Mexican authorities took the suspect into custody.
Check back here for updates on this breaking news story — Ed.