🔗 Share this article

A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in the state of California reportedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged police chase culminating with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Auto Theft Discovered from Sober Living Home

According to a law enforcement statement, a second woman, the owner of the vehicle, 45, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was stolen, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who manages two female recovery residences, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at Diana’s House Sober Living, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

“The keys were stolen from my house manager’s purse. I happened to pull up just as it was occurring,” she said, noting that the vehicle is used for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect did not comply 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 handed over the operation to the California highway patrol once the driver merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

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

The suspect allegedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the road by police, as seen in footage from above.

International Getaway and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the US-Mexico border by 1.30pm, prompting the CHP to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.

The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the vehicle was located 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 remarked. “I’m relieved knowing she was not injured. The car is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and trauma is not always linear.

“This is a psychological and substance abuse crisis,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. We need greater resources for those that are struggling.”

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