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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California allegedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement announcement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, 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 suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing drivers to continue to remain 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 road by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

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

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

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

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction crisis,” she said. “There is a need for more support. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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