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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the border into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement announcement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were taken from my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was occurring,” she said, noting that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities tracked the van about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to persist on the freeway and extend this chase,” said a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

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

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

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has operated the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need more support. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.