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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long law enforcement pursuit culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a police announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“The keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I arrived right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing individuals to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this pursuit,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

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

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and addiction crisis,” she said. “We need additional assistance. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“The recovery process can be messy,” she added.