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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California reportedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged law enforcement pursuit culminating with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two female recovery residences, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” she said, adding that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Officials located the van about 12 miles north in a nearby city, 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, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the context of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to continue to remain on the highway and extend this pursuit,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by authorities, as documented 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 legal limitations.

Walters indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the car,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a mental health and substance abuse crisis,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.