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

Auto Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

As stated in a police statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Several Regions

Officials tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson 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, Ventura county authorities transferred the pursuit to the CHP once the driver entered the 405 freeway heading south.

“This incident is very unique in the context of the traffic conditions enabling individuals to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this pursuit,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was working with the authorities to recover the vehicle.

“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she said. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run the recovery residence since last October, acknowledges that the path to recovery from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

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

“The recovery process can be messy,” she added.