Three weeks after Hawaiian photographer Hannah Kobayashi disappeared while on her way to a “bucket list” vacation in the Big Apple, Authorities announced she had fled to Mexico to “break away” from the modern world – but his desperate family insists the quest is far from over.
The 30-year-old brunette beauty from Maui was reported missing by her family on November 11. Missed a connecting flight at Los Angeles International Airport A few days ago and then it got dark.
Her disappearance immediately made national headlines as her concerned relatives said they had received “strange and mysterious” text messages about someone stealing her identity just before her disappearance.
The case took another interesting turn on Monday when Los Angeles police declared Kobayashi a “voluntary missing person” and said she had deliberately crossed into Mexico to “get away from modern connectivity.”
“We’ve basically done everything we can at this point,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at a press conference Monday night, citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection surveillance footage. Kobayashi is shown crossing the border on November 12.
“She has now left the country and moved to another country.”
The police chief said there was no evidence the budding snapper was being trafficked or was the victim of any crime.
Lieutenant Douglas Oldfield, who works in the department’s Missing Persons Unit, said Kobayashi’s social media activity led him to believe she “wanted to be isolated” from the modern world.
“Looking at her past social media, we saw indications that there were certain desires or posts that would be consistent with someone who would have a desire to disconnect from their phone,” Oldfield said at the press conference.
But the LAPD’s conclusion was no solace to her distraught family — who lost not only Hannah, but also her father, Ryan Kobayashi, in Los Angeles less than two weeks after his daughter disappeared. Died of an apparent suicide near the international airport.
Tuesday morning The family insisted on the search Despite the announcement that he has been considered voluntarily missing, “it is still a long way away”.
“We are extremely grateful for the promptness and dedication shown by law enforcement in the investigation of Hannah’s disappearance,” the family said in a statement.
“Our family remains hopeful that Hannah is safe, and urge everyone to continue the search,” it continued. “The search is far from over, and we are committed to doing everything we can to bring him home safely.”
This wild turn is the latest shocking twist in Kobayashi’s disappearance, which began when he flew to LAX from Hawaii on Nov. 8.
The 30-year-old was scheduled to board a connecting flight to New York, where her relatives and a new job were waiting for her. But the Maui native never boarded a plane.
She had told her family that she would sleep at LAX that night, and according to her aunt, Larry Pidgeon, they assumed she was on standby for the next plane.
But the next day, Kobayashi sent a message saying she was out and about in the City of Angels, enjoying places like The Grove shopping mall and Downtown LA.
That’s when things went wrong.
On November 11, he began sending “alarming” messages to friends and family.
Her aunt said she claimed she was “stopped” on a subway train, and it felt like someone was trying to steal her identity.
“Deep hackers deleted my identity, stole all my funds and have been harassing me since Friday,” one message to a friend said.
Others said, “I was so betrayed that I gave away all my money… for someone I thought I loved.”
Kobayashi also messaged his aunt in New York, stating that he had “just completed a very profound spiritual awakening” – and made Weird Venmo Payment To strangers, one of whom Looks like it was for tarot card reading.
“Once the family started applying pressure, she went dark,” Pidgeon told The Associated Press. He said his niece’s phone “switched off” after she went missing.
After arriving in different parts of the city, police said she requested that her luggage – which had been checked in New York – be taken back to the West Coast.
She had caught it from the airport on November 11 and when she came out, she did not have her phone, police said.
Her family reported her missing that day, and her father flew to Los Angeles to help family, friends, and volunteers scour the city in search of finding the missing woman.
During this time, Conspiracy theories spread wildly on the InternetSome claim she was brainwashed by a cult, blackmailed by African hackers, fled an abusive father or was kidnapped by angry mobsters to whom her father owed money.
It appeared that the stress was more than his heartbroken father could bear.
Police say the 58-year-old man jumped from the LAX parking garage on the morning of Nov. 22 while searching for his little girl.
Police ruled his death a suicide, caused by blunt force trauma.
“That’s such bulls–t!” Pidgeon told The Post. “If Ryan is seeing all this, imagine the effect it’s having on him?”
“He broke down,” she continued. “He died of a broken heart. We were searching tirelessly, and Ryan was a big, giant teddy bear. He is sensitive. Imagine looking at places like Skid Row and imagining their daughter being sex-trafficked and not being able to sleep. He just broke down.”
on a monday night press conferenceThe LAPD chief said police reviewed surveillance footage that clearly shows Kobayashi crossing the United States border into Mexico on foot near Tijuana at about 12:15 a.m. on November 12.
“She was alone with her belongings and was unharmed,” McDonnell said. “At this time, Koboyashi’s case has been classified as a voluntary missing person.”
The police chief insisted there was no evidence of “any criminal activity” and said that before leaving Maui, Kobayashi had said she wanted to “get away from modern connectivity.”
They said, “Our priority is to ensure Ms. Koboyashi’s safety and well-being, and we urge Ms. Koboyashi to contact her family, law enforcement or personnel at the U.S. Embassy to let us know she is safe.”
McDonnell added, “She has a right to her privacy.” “And we respect his choice. But we also understand the concern his loved ones have for him. “A simple message can reassure those who care.”
There’s also the GoFundMe organized by her family — which as of Tuesday had raised nearly $47,000 — to help bring Kobayashi home.
In an email Tuesday, a GoFundMe spokesperson said the fundraiser “is verified and remains within GoFundMe’s terms of service at this time,” even though the circumstances of the case have significantly changed.
“If any donor would like to submit a claim to request a refund, we will honor that,” the representative said.
However, the family said they are left with more questions than answers.
“I want to thank the LAPD for their hard work and the resources they dedicated to this search,” Pidgeon told The Post. “I know they have worked tirelessly, and their efforts have brought us to this new piece of the puzzle.
“But I also want to make it clear – this search is not over,” she added.
“Knowing that Hannah crossed the line doesn’t give me the answers I need, nor does it ease the heartache I feel.”
with post wires
(Tags to translate) US news (T) cult (T) hackers (T) Hannah Kobayashi (T) Hawaii (T) Mexico (T) missing persons
