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A woman previously residing 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 border into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“My keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived right when it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, 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 State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the freeway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

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

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, prompting the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner indicated on Tuesday that the minivan was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not worried about the car,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The car is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has operated Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction emergency,” she said. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.