Hannah Kobayashi Found After Month-Long Disappearance in Mexico.
Hannah Kobayashi's family has announced that she has been "found safe" nearly a month after she entered Mexico and disappeared, an event that garnered national attention and was classified by police as a voluntary disappearance.
"We are overjoyed and thankful that Hannah is safe," her sister and mother, Sydni Kobayashi and Brandi Yee, shared in a statement via their attorney, Sara Azari. "This past month has been an unimaginable challenge for our family, and we respectfully request privacy as we begin to heal and process everything that has happened," the family expressed.
"We want to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who stood by us during this tough time. Your support and compassion have truly meant so much to us," Hannah's sister and mother added. Hannah, a 30-year-old photographer from Hawaii, was reported missing on November 11 after she missed a connecting flight in Los Angeles that was headed to New York City. Authorities later discovered that she traveled to the southern border on November 12 and crossed into Tijuana, Mexico on foot. Hannah Kobayashi set out on a journey to New York City to dive into the vibrant art scene as an aspiring photographer, but she never reached her destination.
The 30-year-old from Hawaii arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on November 8, where she was supposed to catch a connecting flight to New York City. Unfortunately, Hannah did not board the plane, as her family shared with Fox affiliate KHON. Her last known location was at LAX on November 11, which was also the last time her family heard from her.
Latest: Menendez Brothers' Freedom Uncertain Under New DA Nathan Hochman
This lack of communication was unusual for Hannah, as her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, noted in a Facebook post three days later. "Hannah’s final message to us was concerning — she expressed feeling frightened and mentioned that someone might be attempting to steal her money and identity," Pidgeon stated. "Since then, we haven’t heard from her, and we are extremely worried about her safety."
Tragically, two weeks later, Hannah's father passed away. Ryan Kobayashi was discovered deceased in a parking lot on November 24, with the L.A. County medical examiner later ruling his death a suicide. On December 2, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell informed the media that surveillance footage from U.S. Customs and Border Protection captured Hannah crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on November 12, alone and with her belongings. The police have since classified her as a "voluntary missing person." So, what has happened to Hannah Kobayashi?
Here’s what we know so far about the mysterious disappearance of the woman from Hawaii.
Hannah Kobayashi is a 30-year-old woman from Hawaii who lost touch with her family shortly after missing her connecting flight to New York City on November 8. Her aunt described her as "so special and kind" during a rally outside Crypto.com Arena on November 21, according to KTLA. “She’s a beautiful girl inside and out,” said Hannah's father, Ryan Kobayashi, at the event.
Hannah was traveling to New York City to attend a concert and explore the city's vibrant art scene, as she is an aspiring photographer, NBC News reported. “Hannah had a passion for travel, photography, art, and music. We weren’t very close growing up, and we haven’t been in touch for a while,” Ryan shared with CNN. “I’m just trying to reconnect and bring her back. That’s my main priority.”
What happened to Hannah Kobayashi?
On November 8, she flew from Maui to Los Angeles, where she had a layover before her flight to New York City. Unfortunately, she never boarded the second leg of her journey. “I reached out to her and asked, ‘Hey, are you in New York yet?’ and she replied, ‘Not yet.’ It was strange because the flight she was supposed to take had already departed,” said Brandi Yee, Hannah's mother, to KHON.
Hannah's sister, Sydni Kobayashi, informed CNN that Hannah was having trouble rebooking her flight and had left LAX. On November 9, she was seen at a Taschen bookstore at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles and sent a Venmo payment to two individuals whose names were unfamiliar to the family. That evening, she returned to LAX and called her other aunt, Geordan Montalvo, to explain that she was still trying to catch a flight to New York. "She said, ‘This is a nightmare. I don’t understand what’s going on with these airlines; I’m trying to get to you,".
The next day, Hannah was spotted at the LeBron XXII Trial Experience at the Nike store at The Grove, as seen in a YouTube video posted on November 10.
PHOTO: LAPD
Hannah's family last heard from her on November 11, when her phone indicated she was back at LAX. Pidgeon informed Hawaii News Now that Montalvo had also attempted to reach her. "Her phone registered at LAX around 4 p.m., and after that, Geordan kept trying to get in touch with her, but then everything went silent.
Her phone died, and she lost all means of communication," she explained. Earlier, Hannah had messaged a friend after missing her flight, saying, “I got tricked into giving away all my money to someone I thought I loved." "She texted that she was scared and couldn’t return home or something like that," Sydni shared with Hawaii News Now. "The texts were really strange… it didn’t sound like her at all; something felt off.
Latest: Michael Jackson's Daughter Paris Jackson Announces Engagement to Justin Long in Heartfelt Tribute
I wasn’t sure if it was really her or someone else messaging.” Sydni further explained to CNN that the messages included terms Hannah typically wouldn’t use, such as "hun," "love," and "babe," leading her to suspect that it might not have been her sister texting. “She never says ‘hun.’ She might say ‘love’ or ‘babe,’ but never ‘hun.’ Even her close friends have noticed the same thing," she mentioned. A ticket agent informed the family that they had spoken with Hannah earlier on November 11, indicating she was trying to purchase a ticket either back to Maui or to New York.
However, police later confirmed that Hannah left the airport on November 11 "with an unidentified person" and took the train, according to Pidgeon’s report to KGMB/KHNL. “We haven’t heard anything about that,” Pidgeon said. “She doesn’t know anyone in L.A., and our whole family doesn’t know anyone there either.” Pidgeon also noted that Hannah appeared unwell in the surveillance footage of her leaving with the stranger. The two were later spotted getting off the train at Pico Station, an area the family searched after arriving in L.A. to assist in the search for Hannah. “It wasn’t a safe neighborhood," and "the officers we spoke with and others in the are.”
On December 2, authorities announced that Hannah was not actually missing but was classified as a "voluntary missing person" after reviewing surveillance footage that showed her walking into Mexico around noon on November 12. In response to this update, her family released a statement to NBC News and NewsNation expressing their determination to do everything they can to ensure her safe return. They expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the swift and dedicated efforts of law enforcement in looking into Hannah's situation.
