UPDATE | Dec. 3, 2024, 2:58 PM CST |
Los Angeles — A woman from Hawaii who was reported missing after landing in Los Angeles was seen crossing into Mexico alone with her luggage and isn't considered missing, police said Monday.
At about noon on Nov. 12, Hannah Kobayashi, 30, walked into the tunnel that leads to Mexico, officials said, adding that there is no evidence she’s being trafficked or a victim of foul play. Police say the case is now classified as a “voluntary missing person.”
"We’ve basically done everything we can do at this point. She’s left the country and in another nation now,” said Los Angeles Police Department Chief of Police Jim McDonnell.
Kobayashi’s Aunt, Larie Pidgeon shared the following statement with MSM regarding the recent developments.
First, I want to thank every single person who has helped in the search for my niece, Hannah Kobayashi. The volunteers, the press, and complete strangers who have shown us kindness—your efforts have been a lifeline during these past three agonizing weeks.
Yesterday, the LAPD announced that Hannah was seen willingly crossing the border into Mexico. I want to be completely transparent: I was not made aware of this development until just hours before their press conference. I have not seen the footage myself, but I trust the LAPD has done their due diligence to confirm it was her.
I want to thank the LAPD for their hard work and the resources they have dedicated to this search. I know they’ve worked tirelessly, and their efforts have brought us to this new piece of the puzzle. But I also want to be clear—this search is not over. Knowing Hannah crossed the border does not provide the answers I need, nor does it ease the heartbreak I feel.
That said, my heart is still broken, and my worry for Hannah has not lessened. It has been 21 days since I last heard from her—21 days of silence, of fear, and of questioning what could have led to this. Hannah never mentioned any plans to travel to Mexico, and no one in her life knew she intended to go there. What alarms me even more is her complete disconnection from her phone, her social media, and her world—this is not who she is. And I can’t shake the last messages she sent friends and family, which I’ve replayed in my mind a thousand times, trying to make sense of it but still cannot.
I love Hannah with all my heart, and that love is what drives me to keep searching for her. Everything I’ve done, every plea I’ve made, every step I’ve taken—it’s all been out of love. I will not stop until I can confirm, face-to-face, that she is safe and making these decisions of her own accord.
This has been the most painful and confusing time of my life. I’ve felt heartbreak, frustration, and hope all at once. To everyone who has supported me—whether by searching, sharing her story, or simply praying for her—I cannot thank you enough. Your kindness reminds me that even in the darkest moments, there are good people in this world.
But I still need your help. Please, continue to share Hannah’s story. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers. I will not stop until I know my niece is safe and doing this on her own accord and in a good mental state.
Kobayashi was reported missing after the budding photographer from Maui didn’t make a connecting flight to New York on Nov. 8 to travel for a new job and to visit relatives. She told her family she would sleep in the Los Angeles International Airport that night.
Family members assumed she was on standby for another flight, according to her aunt, Larie Pidgeon. The next day, Hannah texted them to say she was sightseeing in Los Angeles, planning to visit The Grove shopping mall and downtown LA, Pidgeon said.
But on Nov. 11, the family received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages from her phone that referenced her being “intercepted” as she got on a Metro train and being scared that someone might be stealing her identity, her aunt said.
Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, who had been in the search party along with volunteers, was found dead Sunday in a parking lot near LA International Airport by apparent suicide, police and her family said.
Surveillance video from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reviewed by Los Angeles police late Sunday showed her crossing the US-Mexico border on foot. McDonnell said she appeared unharmed.
“My ask would be to anybody considering doing this, think about the people you’re leaving behind, your loved ones who are going to be worried sick about you," said McDonnell. "The number of people, including law enforcement and other partners who are going to be looking for you, which then potentially takes them away from other work that is also critically important.”
Copyright MSM/AP