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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were taken from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to continue to remain on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the vehicle was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” she said. “I’m more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

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

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.