A female individual previously residing at a female recovery facility in the state of California reportedly took a stolen van and engaged in a prolonged police chase ending with her crossing the border into Mexico on Monday.
As stated in a law enforcement announcement, a second woman, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her car key. Walters, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of LA.
“My keys were stolen out of my manager’s handbag. I arrived just as it was happening,” she said, noting that the vehicle is designated for the facility’s daily operations.
Authorities tracked the van about 12 miles to the north in Simi Valley, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson did not comply and sped away. 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 transferred the operation to the CHP once Wilson merged onto the 405 freeway traveling southbound.
“This incident is particularly unusual in the sense of the road situation allowing drivers to continue to remain on the highway and extend this chase,” commented a public information officer from the Ventura county sheriff’s office.
Wilson allegedly avoided all the spike strips tossed on the roadway by authorities, as documented in footage from above.
The chase eventually reached the US-Mexico border by early afternoon, leading to the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to legal limitations.
The vehicle owner indicated on the following day that the vehicle was situated in the Mexican city of Tijuana and that she was coordinating with the CHP to retrieve it.
“Ultimately, I’m not concerned with the vehicle,” she said. “I’m relieved aware she was not injured. The minivan is replaceable.”
Walters, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since October 2024, acknowledges that the path to recovery from addiction and trauma is often non-linear.
“This represents a mental health and substance abuse crisis,” she said. “There is a need for additional assistance. We need more resources for those that are struggling.”
“Recovery can be messy,” Walters concluded.
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Evan Burton
Evan Burton