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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California allegedly stole a minivan and engaged in a hours-long law enforcement pursuit ending with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a police statement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, who manages 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 LA.

“The keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the van about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to persist on the highway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the authorities to retrieve it.

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

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

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

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.