🔗 Share this article

A female individual previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Recovery Residence

As stated in a law enforcement statement, a another female, the owner of the vehicle, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. Walters, who manages two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately 60 minutes north-west of LA.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Several Regions

Officials located the van about 19 kilometers north in a nearby city, where they attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Wilson refused to stop and accelerated rapidly. She reached speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the pursuit continued into LA County. At that point, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway heading south.

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

Wilson reportedly dodged all the tire-deflation devices deployed on the road by police, as seen in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The chase eventually reached the international border by 1.30pm, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to legal limitations.

Walters indicated on the following day that the vehicle 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,” Walters said. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The car is replaceable.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

The sober living home owner, who has run the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the path to recovery from addiction and emotional distress is not always linear.

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

“The recovery process isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.