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A female individual previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the border into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, 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 alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were taken from my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was happening,” she said, noting that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson allegedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by police, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” she said. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

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