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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a police 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 manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“The keys were taken out of my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities located the van about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the CHP once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the freeway and prolong this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the road by authorities, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters 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,” she said. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for more support. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“The recovery process can be messy,” she added.