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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California reportedly stole a minivan and engaged in a prolonged law enforcement pursuit culminating with her traveling across the border into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“The keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was happening,” she said, noting that the minivan is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is very unique in the context of the road situation allowing individuals to persist on the highway and prolong this pursuit,” said a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices 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 early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the vehicle was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, acknowledges that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a psychological and addiction emergency,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

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