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A female individual formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and led a prolonged law enforcement pursuit ending with her crossing the international boundary into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen out of my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” she said, adding that the minivan is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the van about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, 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 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 context of the road situation enabling individuals to continue to remain on the freeway and prolong this pursuit,” said a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson allegedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices tossed on the road by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” she remarked. “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, recognizes that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a mental health and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “We need more support. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” she added.