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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California allegedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged police chase ending with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the van about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

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

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

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

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

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

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse crisis,” she said. “We need more support. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.