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A female individual formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, 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, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“The keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the van about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing individuals to continue to remain on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

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

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by 1.30pm, leading to the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she said. “I’m relieved aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

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

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” she added.