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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California reportedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long police chase culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the context of the traffic conditions enabling individuals to persist on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

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

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the car,” Walters said. “I’m relieved aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.