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

Vehicle Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located 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,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds 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 refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase proceeded into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the pursuit to the CHP once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

“This one is very unique in the context of the road situation allowing drivers to continue to remain on the highway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

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

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

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

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the vehicle was situated 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 vehicle,” she said. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

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 trauma is not always linear.

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

“The recovery process can be messy,” Walters concluded.