It originally appeared on E! Online
Details around Hannah Kobayashi‘s missing persons case may not go public.
Although the family of the 31-year-old man confirmed that they had met him following his disappearance on Nov.
“We have not seen him and at the moment we have no reason to force him to see us,” Lt. Doug Oldfield of the Los Angeles Police Department’s missing persons report Human beings Dec. 11. “It is a big issue, so he may choose to bring a lawyer, but he is not obliged to talk to us.”
Oldfield noted that when authorities were told the Hawaii native — who was reported missing after failing to make it to her flight from LA to New York City Nov. 8 — was found in Mexico, the family’s attorney did not specify where exactly. he was found or how the family met him, according to the exit.
For more on Hannah’s missing story, read on.
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“We’ll see what happens next,” Oldfield added. “We don’t have a lot of information.”
Earlier in the day, Kobayashi’s family released a statement confirming that they had successfully contacted him, one week after the LAPD declared him a “voluntary missing person.”
Hannah Kobayashi/Instagram
“We are very relieved and believe that Hana has been found safe,” Hana’s sister Sydney Kobayashi and mother Brandi Yee he said in a statement provided to NBC News. “This past month has been an unimaginable challenge for our family, and we sincerely ask for privacy as we take time to heal and deal with all that we have been through.”
He also thanked the public support he received while this case was going on.
“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported us during this difficult time,” the family added. “Your grace and concern mean the world to us.”
To find out more about Hana’s missing persons story, keep reading.
Hannah Kobayashi Arrives in Los Angeles
On November 8, Hannah Kobayashi flew from Maui to Los Angeles, where he was supposed to catch a connecting flight to New York’s JFK International Airport, according to LA police.
Hana was booked on the same flight as her ex-boyfriend. His sister Sydney Kobayashi he said, at Los Angeles Timesthat they were not able to get a refund for the seats but had agreed to go separately when they arrived in New York, where Hannah was going for a concert and photography job.
Hana ended up not boarding her flight out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for unknown reasons, according to an LAPD press release. Meanwhile his bag was checked all the way to his destination, and he asked for it to be returned to LAX.
Surveillance video reviewed by police showed the 30-year-old picking up her bag at LAX on November 11.
Hannah’s Whereabouts in LA
When she arrived in LA, Hannah visited the Taschen bookstore at The Grove shopping center on Nov. 9 and wrote a copy of the book to his brother, his aunt. Larry Pidgeon told the Los Angeles Times. Hana also filled out a mail form, using her Maui address.
Family members used the photo data to track Hannah to Taschen, Larie explained, where they confirmed with staff that Hannah was there. (Larie said she was one of the brothers who came from Maui to look for her grandson.)
On November 10, Hana attended the LeBron XXII Trial Experience held at the Nike store at The Grove and posted a photo of Jordan-wearing shoes on the same day, tagged LA Times and listing his location as “City of Angels, Los Angeles CA.”
“We think he lived at The Grove,” Larie told reporters The time. “It’s a nice tourist area with lots of shops, bookstores and museums, so we think he was in that area seeing and feeling safe.”
Hannah’s Notes Take a Change About Action, Family Reports Her Missing
Hannah’s messages to family members seemed positive, including lamenting that she had not found another flight, according to Larie.
But on November 11, Larie continued The timeHannah then sent a message to other aunts telling them that she was concerned about their behavior and that all her money had been stolen, no one could contact her.
“He used words like ‘hun’ and ‘babe’ and ‘someone is trying to steal my money,'” said Larie. “He doesn’t say that. It was out of character and the family got angry.”
He was “weird, hidden messages—things about the matrix, that was unique to him,” Larie told KTLA. “And then all of a sudden, there was no more communication.”
The last time Hannah turned her phone on was 4 pm on Nov. 11 at LAX, when police said he took her bag.
His family reported him missing the next day.
Last Seen of Hannah in LA
Hannah’s family shared Nov. 18 that they had seen scanned images showing him getting off the train at the Pico Metro station near the Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA at 10 pm on Nov.
“Obviously Hana doesn’t seem to be in good shape and she’s not alone,” her family wrote on Facebook.
According to police, Hannah went to Union Station, about three miles from the airport, where she used her passport to buy a bus ticket to an area near the California-Mexico border.
On November 12, police said, he took a bus to San Ysidro. The community has been called the “Gateway to the Americas” as it is the southernmost city in California and a popular border crossing point.
The Kobayashi Family Begs for Help Finding Conscience
Family members held a meeting and flew past on November 21 near the center of town where Hana was last seen.
“Please don’t stop saying her name, Hannah Kobayashi,” her aunt Larie said at the event, on KTLA. “Your whole family is here. The whole world is looking for you. If you can and have a chance, please talk to us. We’re not crazy.”
Hannah’s father added, Ryan Kobayashi“She’s a beautiful girl inside and out. Just come here, if you can.”
He told NBC4 at the meeting, “This is a problem for all parents. We don’t know where to start, where to start. It’s like the sand of the sea.”
Hana’s father was found dead
Ryan Kobayashi, who was in town from Maui to look for Hana, jumped to his death from a parking lot near LAX on the morning of November 24, according to police, who responded to a report of a dead man on the 6100 block of. Century Boulevard at 4 am
The L.A. County Medical Examiner’s report stated that Ryan suffered serious injuries and the manner of death was suicide.
“That’s every parent’s problem,” Ryan told NBC4 at a conference on Nov. 21. “We don’t know where to start, where to start. It’s like the sand in the ocean.”
The RAD Movement, a nonprofit that advocates for families of missing people, said in a statement that Ryan had been in Los Angeles for 13 days searching for his daughter.
“This loss has greatly increased the suffering of the family,” the group said, also stressing that there is still a missing woman to look for and “it is important that everyone remains vigilant in their efforts to find Hana.”
Suspecting that Ryan had something to do with Hannah’s disappearance was cruel and needed to be shut down, Larie said LA Times. “He died of heartbreak,” he said.
Police Say Hana Is In Mexico, Change Status To “Missing Person Volunteer”
The LAPD announced Dec. 2 that they last saw Hana crossing the border from San Ysidro into Mexico on November 12, alone and carrying her luggage.
Investigators from the Department of Missing Persons went to the border Dec. 1 and saw surveillance video from US Customs and Border Protection that showed him traveling through Mexico, police said.
Hana is now considered a voluntary missing person, according to the LAPD, which said she is not a suspect in any criminal activity, and their investigation has turned up no evidence of human trafficking or foul play.
“Our top priority is to ensure Ms. Kobayashi’s safety and well-being,” LAPD Sgt Jim McDonnell he said at a press conference. “We encourage Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement or US Embassy staff to let us know she is safe. She has the right to privacy, and we respect her choices, but we also understand the concern her loved ones feel. . A simple message can reassure those who care about her.
In a statement to NBC News, Hannah’s family said they remained hopeful she was safe and were still searching for her.
“The search is far from over,” he said on December 3, “and we are committed to doing everything we can to return them home safely. We need an answer and a bond that guarantees Hana’s safety and encourages law enforcement and the public to keep an eye on finding her and avoid speculative conclusions.”
Hana’s family says she is safe
On Dec. 11, Hannah Sydni’s sister and mother Brandi Yee they said they had met him.
“We are relieved and thankful that Hana has been found safe,” he said in a statement to NBC News. “This past month has been an unimaginable tragedy for our family, and we kindly ask that we not hide it as we take time to heal. and deal with everything we have been through.”
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