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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police announcement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named 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 out of my house manager’s purse. I arrived just as it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the 118 freeway until the chase proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling drivers to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the road by police, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on the following day that the vehicle was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

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

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from substance abuse and emotional distress is not always linear.

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

“Recovery can be messy,” she added.