A MISSING woman who vanished for a month after flying to Los Angeles has been found safe, according to her family.
Hannah Kobayashi had been missing since November 11 and her dad was so distraught over her disappearance that he killed himself while searching for her in the streets of Los Angeles.
Kobayashi, who became the subject of national attention after her loved ones begged for help finding her last month, was found safe after she crossed into Mexico on November 12, her family confirmed.
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” her family confirmed on Wednesday.
“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through.
“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”
Sara Azari, the family’s attorney, did not confirm where Kobayashi was found or why she traveled to Mexico and has not responded to a request for comment.
Kobayashi, 30, initially had a layover in Los Angeles, where she was expected to catch a connecting flight to New York City on November 8. However, she missed her 42-minute window to board.
The search began after she sent cryptic texts to her family before going off the grid, prompting crowds of volunteers to canvass the city and hunt for clues in Kobayashi’s disappearance.
The case took a tragic turn when Kobayashi’s dad, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide at a Los Angeles parking garage on November 24 after weeks of searching for his daughter.
It’s unclear whether Kobayashi has learned of her dad’s death yet.
Last Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that Kobayashi crossed into Mexico alone on November 12.
Cops deemed her disappearance as “voluntary” due to surveillance footage showing she made the trip from San Diego to Tijuana by herself, with her luggage and passport.
Kobayashi’s vanishing in Mexico further fueled theories that the traveler was involved in a green card marriage scam.
A green card marriage scam typically involves a non-American person marrying an American citizen to obtain legal residency via a green card.
Speculation started to swirl after a picture of Kobayashi appearing to marry an Argentinian man before her trip to Los Angeles circulated on the internet.
Hannah Kobayashi has been found a month after she flew to Los Angeles then vanished. Her family released a statement through their attorney on Wednesday, confirming she is safe.
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” they wrote.
“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through.
“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time.
“Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”
However, Azari told The U.S. Sun last week that the family is completely in the dark about any alleged marriage.
After the LAPD closed the case, her family vowed to keep searching for Kobayashi, insisting her erratic behavior was too bizarre to ignore.
After Kobayashi missed her flight on November 8, she stayed in Los Angeles and waited for the next opening flight to New York, which family members said Kobayashi described as a “bucket list trip.”
Kobayashi, an art fan and aspiring photographer, had an itinerary planned out for her stay in the Big Apple, including stops at the Museum of Modern Art, absorbing Manhattan’s art scene, and visiting her aunt, Geordan Montalvo.
However, after missing her flight in Los Angeles, Kobayashi used her free time to go sightseeing across the city.
Her social media activity showed her visiting The Grove shopping center in Beverly Hills, about 12 miles from LAX airport, on November 10.
HANNAH Kobayashi sparked a massive search after missing a flight to New York during a layover in Los Angeles. Here is a timeline of events in the case.
Friday, November 8: Hannah leaves her home in Maui and arrives in Los Angeles for a connecting flight to New York City. She has 42 minutes to make the flight at 11 pm.
Saturday, November 9: Hannah is meant to land at JFK airport in New York City at 7 am but never arrives. She is seen at a bookshop at The Grove, an hour from the Los Angeles airport.
Sunday, November 10: Hannah sends a message saying she’s scared and worried about someone trying to steal her money and identity, alongside several other cryptic texts. She’s later seen at a Nike event at The Grove in Los Angeles.
Monday, November 11: Hannah’s phone data puts her back at LAX. She posts a picture on her Instagram account from the Nike event. Her phone is then turned off.
Tuesday, November 12: Unbeknownst to her family, Hannah catches a bus from Union Station down to San Ysidro, San Diego, and crosses the border into Tijuana, Mexico.
Wednesday, November 13: Family files missing person’s report and flies to LA to search for her. They are informed she was last seen at Pico Station in Downtown Los Angeles with an unidentified male.
Sunday, November 24: After scouring LA’s Skid Row and other areas for nearly a week, Hannah’s dad Ryan takes his own life and is found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot.
Monday, December 2: Cops announce Hannah was spotted in surveillance footage crossing into Mexico from the US on November 12 and say she wanted to step away from modern connectivity. The investigation is paused.
Tuesday, December 3: Hannah’s family vows to keep looking for her in a statement released by their attorney.
Wednesday, December 11: The attorney of the Kobayashi family announced Hannah was located safe.
The following day, Kobayashi sent a concerning message saying she “got tricked pretty much into giving away all her funds.”
“For someone I thought I loved. I’ve been on the streets,” she added in follow-up messages.
Azari slammed the cop’s labeling of Kobayashi’s disappearance as voluntary.
“I think it’s very reckless for the LAPD to call this voluntary,” she told The U.S. Sun last week.
“You don’t have to be dragged by your hair for it to be against your will.
“I just have a problem with closing the books and calling it voluntary when that’s very unusual behavior for somebody.”
The family planned to continue the search in Mexico, Azari said.
She added that the family planned to keep up the controversial GoFundMe fundraiser, which social media users demanded should be taken down due to the questionable circumstances.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the GoFundMe has raised over $47,000 and is still active.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
