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A female individual formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Develops 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 refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the context of the road situation allowing drivers to continue to remain on the highway and extend this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the car,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes 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 more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

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