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A female individual formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in California allegedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long police chase ending with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a police statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was occurring,” she said, adding that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Unfolds Across Several Regions

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued 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 particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling drivers to persist on the highway and prolong this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters stated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” she said. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

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

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” she added.