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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged law enforcement pursuit culminating with her crossing the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police announcement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I arrived right when it was happening,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities located 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 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing drivers to persist on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect allegedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

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 recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need more support. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.