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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

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

“The keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities tracked the van about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the freeway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

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

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

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

Walters stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” she said. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

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

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.