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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a police statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles north in Simi Valley, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

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

The suspect allegedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the roadway by police, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the authorities to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This is a mental health and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “There is a need for more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.