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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities located the van about 12 miles north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation enabling drivers to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters stated on Tuesday that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

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

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” she added.