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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long law enforcement pursuit culminating with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the minivan is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities located the van about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the context of the traffic conditions allowing individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

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

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the car,” Walters remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction emergency,” she said. “There is a need for more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.