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A female individual formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, 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 from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” she said, adding that the minivan is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the CHP once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the road situation allowing individuals to persist on the freeway and extend this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by police, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the CHP to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

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

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

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since last October, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need more support. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

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