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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly stole a minivan and led a prolonged police chase ending with her crossing the border into the nation of Mexico on Monday.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Recovery Residence

According to a law enforcement statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, 45, notified authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, named the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, located approximately an hour’s drive of LA.

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

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Officials located 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 sped away. She attained speeds of about 90mph on the State Route 118 until the chase continued into LA County. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the Interstate 405 heading south.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation allowing drivers to continue to remain on the highway and prolong this chase,” said a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.

Wilson allegedly dodged all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by police, as documented in aerial videos.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath Developments

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to end its pursuit due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters indicated on the following day that the minivan was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the CHP to recover the vehicle.

“At the end of the day, I’m not concerned with the car,” Walters said. “I’m relieved aware she wasn’t hurt. The car is easily substituted.”

Insight from the Facility Operator

Walters, who has operated the recovery residence since October 2024, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from substance abuse and trauma is not always linear.

“This represents a mental health and addiction crisis,” she said. “We need more support. We need greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” she added.