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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly stole a minivan and led a hours-long police chase ending with her crossing the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. The owner, who manages two female recovery residences, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“My keys were taken out of my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the California highway patrol once Wilson entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

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

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

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

The vehicle owner stated on Tuesday that the minivan 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,” she remarked. “I’m more at ease aware she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This represents a mental health and substance abuse crisis,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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