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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long law enforcement pursuit culminating with her traveling across the border into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“My keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the van about 12 miles north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to continue to remain on the highway and extend this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on the following day that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the authorities to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease 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, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

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

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