California
Hannah Kobayashi, the missing Hawaii woman found recently, said she was "unaware of everything" that happened in the media and her family. After returning from Mexico to the United States, Hannah said in a statement handed on Tuesday (Dec 17) by her aunt that she is "still processing it all" and urged people to respect her family during “this challenging time".
“I was unaware of everything that was happening in the media while I was away and I am still processing it all. I kindly ask for respect for myself, my family and my loved ones as I navigate through this challenging time. Thank you for your understanding," her statement added.
Hannah's sister, Sydi Kobayashi, revealed that Hannah has been found safe but “does not wish to return to her family’. TMZ reported that after her landing in the US, she was greeted by her attorney in California but not her family.
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'Voluntary Missing'
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.
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.
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In messages, she reportedly said that she 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)