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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, 45, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to persist on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the road by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she said. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This is a psychological and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” she added.