Hannah Kobayashi, 'voluntarily missing' Hawaii woman, found: Police and family
Kobayashi mysteriously vanished in November from the Los Angeles airport.
Hannah Kobayashi, a woman from the US state of Hawaii whom the police declared "voluntarily missing", has been found, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said on Wednesday (Dec 11).
The department issued a statement saying, "We are happy to learn that Hannah has been found safe". It further added, "Now that we have this new information, this has become a private matter and we will wrap up our investigation".
Meanwhile, Hannah's family took to X and wrote, "We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe".
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"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," the postadded.
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Kobayashi mysteriously disappeared in November from the Los Angeles airport. Her disappearance caused panic among her family and also stirred a discussion since many people got invested in Hannah’s story. Her case became even more intense after her father, who had come to LA to find her, killed himself after he failed.
What did police say?
On December 2, Los Angeles police declared Kobayashi a voluntary missing person.
At the time, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a news conference, "As the family is aware, late yesterday after travelling to the US-Mexico border we reviewed video surveillance from US Customs and Border Protection which clearly shows Kobayashi crossing the United States border on foot into Mexico."
“She was alone, with her luggage, and appeared unharmed," he further added.
Strange texts
From November 8 to 11, various surveillance footage showed her at multiple locations across LA. On November 11, Hannah was seen retrieving her luggage from the airport and that was the last time she was seen.
Just after that, she stopped communicating with her family. Furthermore, her family members started receiving strange and unusual text messages from her number.
In messages, she reportedly said had been "tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds" to "someone I thought I loved". Then her phone went dead.
In mid-November, authorities announced she was seen crossing the US-Mexico border on foot. This development sparked a more intense investigation into her case.
(With inputs from agencies)
