🔗 Share this article

A female individual formerly staying at a female recovery facility in the state of California allegedly took a stolen van and led a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. The owner, who operates two female recovery residences, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were taken from 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.

High-Speed Pursuit Unfolds Across Multiple Counties

Officials tracked the van about 12 miles to the north in a nearby city, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit proceeded into Los Angeles county. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies transferred the operation to the CHP once the driver entered the 405 freeway traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the sense of the traffic conditions enabling drivers to persist on the freeway and extend this chase,” said a spokesperson from the local law enforcement agency.

The suspect reportedly avoided all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the roadway by authorities, as seen in aerial videos.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit eventually reached the international border by 1.30pm, leading to the CHP to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner stated on Tuesday that the minivan was situated in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the car,” she said. “I’m relieved knowing she wasn’t hurt. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

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 emotional distress is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and substance abuse emergency,” she said. “We need more support. It is essential to provide more resources for those that are struggling.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.