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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 crossing the border into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two female recovery residences, named the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Several Regions

Authorities located the van about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the context of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the highway and prolong this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect allegedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” Walters said. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need more support. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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