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A woman formerly staying at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long law enforcement pursuit ending with her crossing the border into Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

As stated in a police announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, reported that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was stolen, along with her car key. Walters, who manages two female recovery residences, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated 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,” Walters stated, noting that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 12 miles 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 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is very unique in the sense of the traffic conditions allowing individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this chase,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

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

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the international border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was coordinating with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” Walters emphasized. “There is a need for more support. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.