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A female individual previously residing at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this chase,” commented a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters stated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to retrieve it.

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

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need more support. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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