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

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“The keys were stolen out of my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is used for the facility’s daily operations.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Authorities tracked the van about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the road situation allowing individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this chase,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by police, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath Developments

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

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

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.