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A female individual formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long police chase ending with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car 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 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“The keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 12 miles north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the traffic conditions allowing individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the road by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and addiction crisis,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” she added.