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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged law enforcement pursuit culminating with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were taken from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” she said, noting that the minivan is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the CHP once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the highway and prolong this chase,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

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

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” Walters remarked. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

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

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.