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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and led 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

According to a police announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were taken out of my house manager’s purse. I arrived right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities tracked the van about 19 kilometers north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the context of the road situation allowing individuals to continue to remain on the highway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

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

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need additional assistance. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.