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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California reportedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this chase,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

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

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

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

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.