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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a police statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two female recovery residences, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“The keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” she said, adding that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the stolen vehicle 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 accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

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

Wilson allegedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the road by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” she said. “I’m relieved aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and emotional distress is often non-linear.

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

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.