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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long law enforcement pursuit ending with her crossing the border into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this chase,” commented a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the road by authorities, as documented in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The chase eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction crisis,” she said. “We need more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.