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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long police chase ending with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a police statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car key. Walters, who manages two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were stolen 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 facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is very unique in the context of the road situation enabling drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by police, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

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

Insight from the Facility Operator

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

“This is a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

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