After a massive and lengthy search for a 30-year-old woman from Maui who vanished in Los Angeles last month, sparking concerns of human trafficking and foul play, investigators announced Monday that she was seen crossing into Mexico, appeared unharmed and is now considered a “voluntary missing person.”
Hannah Kobayashi traveled from Maui to L.A. on Nov. 8.
There, investigators said she deliberately missed her connecting flight to New York where she was planning on visiting an aunt.
The Maui native was spotted a day later at The Grove for a LeBron James event, with family members saying they received concerning texts from her.
She was then seen at the Pico Metro Station near Crypto.com Arena around 10 p.m. on Nov. 11 with an unknown person.
As the weeks passed and the search intensified, with more family members traveling to L.A. to look for her, they stated publicly that they believed Hannah had possibly been harmed by another person.
Police, however, said Kobayashi was seen on LAX surveillance cameras on Nov. 11 where she retrieved her luggage, which had originally been checked through to New York.
Hannah Kobayashi seen in L.A. in a surveillance photo obtained by family members. (viewer image)
“The investigation further revealed that Kobayashi knowingly departed LAX with her luggage and traveled to Union Station,” an LAPD news release stated. “While at Union Station, she used her passport to purchase a bus ticket for a destination near the Mexico border.”
Investigators with LAPD’s Missing Persons Unit traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border on Dec. 1 where they viewed surveillance footage of the 30-year-old entering Mexico from San Ysidro on Nov. 12.
Where is Hannah Kobayashi? What we know
While she was in Mexico, the search for her continued in L.A. On Nov. 24, it took a tragic turn when her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead in a parking lot near LAX, where the family’s search was centered.
The LAPD said he died by suicide.
Ryan spoke with KTLA just days before his death, in hopes of reaching his daughter.
“I miss her,” he said. “Just want her to know that and just want her to reach out – anything.”
At Monday’s news conference, detectives said that before she left Maui, the 30-year-old expressed a desire to step away from modern connectivity and added that it remains unclear if she still has her cellphone.
Additionally, authorities said Kobayashi is not a suspect in any criminal activity and that her classification as a voluntary missing person reflects a balance between respecting her privacy concerns and ensuring any investigative actions are conducted within legal and ethical standards.
“Our priority is ensuring Ms. Kobayashi’s safety and well-being,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at the news conference. “We urge Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement or personnel at the U.S. Embassy to let us know she is safe. She has the right to privacy, and we respect her choice, but we also understand the concern her loved ones feel. A simple message could reassure those who care about her.”
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