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A woman formerly staying at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

“The keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities tracked the van about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the context of the traffic conditions enabling individuals to persist on the highway and extend this chase,” commented a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the spike strips deployed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the car,” Walters remarked. “I’m more at ease knowing she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is often non-linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction crisis,” Walters emphasized. “We need more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” she added.