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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement statement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who operates 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 Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken from my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was occurring,” she said, adding that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the context of the traffic conditions enabling individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by 1.30pm, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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