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A female individual previously residing at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were taken from my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers north in Simi Valley, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation allowing individuals to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this chase,” commented a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect allegedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the international 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 coordinating with the authorities to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” she said. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

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

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