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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California allegedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

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

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities transferred the operation to the CHP once the driver entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation enabling drivers to persist on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the road by authorities, as documented in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the authorities to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” she remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

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

“This is a mental health and substance abuse crisis,” she said. “We need more support. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“The recovery process can be messy,” Walters concluded.