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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California allegedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a police statement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“The keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” she said, adding that the minivan is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this chase,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the car,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

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

“This represents a mental health and substance abuse crisis,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for more support. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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