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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California allegedly stole a minivan and engaged in a prolonged police chase culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

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

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation allowing individuals to persist on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” commented a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by 1.30pm, leading to the CHP to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated 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,” Walters remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she wasn’t hurt. The car is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a mental health and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “There is a need for more support. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.