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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates 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 Los Angeles.

“The keys were stolen out of my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase 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 refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to persist on the highway and extend this chase,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the road by police, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The chase eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

Walters stated on the following day that the minivan was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and substance abuse crisis,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for more support. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” she added.