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A woman previously residing at a female recovery facility in California reportedly took a stolen van 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 announcement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, reported that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. Walters, who manages two female recovery residences, named the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately 60 minutes north-west of Los Angeles.

“The keys were taken out of my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up right when it was happening,” Walters stated, adding that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.

Dramatic Chase Develops Across Several Regions

Authorities tracked the stolen vehicle about 19 kilometers to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that point, Ventura county authorities handed over the operation to the CHP once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions enabling individuals to persist on the highway and extend this pursuit,” commented a spokesperson from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

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

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, leading to the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

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

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters remarked. “I’m more at ease aware she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

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

“This is a psychological and addiction emergency,” she said. “There is a need for more support. We need more resources for those that are facing challenges.”

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