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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” commented 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 aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana 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 more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

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

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

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” she added.