Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman whose disappearance in Los Angeles launched a nationwide search by family and friends, has been found safe about a month, about a month after walking into Mexico and vanishing in what authorities have called a “voluntary disappearance.”
According to documents obtained by People, Kobayashi was seen on surveillance video crossing the U.S. border into Mexico and did not appear to be the victim of foul play.
Her discovery brings closure to a high-profile, weeks-long investigation after Kobayashi abruptly lost contact with her family on November 8, when she missed a connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York.
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe, “her sister and mother, Sydni Kobayashi and Brandi Yee, said in a statement to the news outlet Wednesday (December 11th).
“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,” they added.
The family, through their attorney, Sara Azari, did not disclose details about where, when, or how Kobayashi contacted her family and said there would be no further statements at this point.
LAPD Missing Persons Unit’s Lieutenant Doug Oldfield said authorities were separately notified by Azari just a “few hours ago” that the 30-year-old photographer had been found. He also confirmed that officials were not aware of how Kobayashi contacted her family.
“We have not seen here, and at this point, we have no reason to compel her to see us.” Oldfield said, adding, “It’s a big story, so she may decide to come with a lawyer, but she is not obligated to speak to us. We’ll see what happens next.”
Oldfield also noted that Kobayashi’s family did not disclose her current location and that they “have not received notification that she has had contact with CBP [Customs and Border Protection] or crossed back into the U.S.”
“When she crosses back, she’ll show as a missing person,” he continued. “We usually want law enforcement to determine a person is safe and make contact — in this case, CBP could provide us with that info to take her out of the system.”
Before her disappearance, Kobayashi had sent a myriad of bizarre texts to friends and family, reportedly talking about a “spiritual awakening” and being duped.
The 30-year-old had also been spotted with an unknown man just hours before her last sighting.
Family members, including her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, speculated that Kobayashi had been kidnapped and possibly trafficked.
Meanwhile, internet sleuths spun theories ranging from a psychotic break and cult ties to a conspiracy involving Kobayashi’s ex-boyfriend, whom she had traveled with to L.A.
After the Federal Bureau of Investigation uncovered that she had voluntarily traveled to Mexico, they immediately started an investigation into a possible green card marriage scheme with an Argentine national.
Quick update: Hannah Kobayashi’s mother and sister say she’s been found safe. @TheLeadCNN pic.twitter.com/0okCiygOoi
— Natasha Chen (@NatashaChenCNN) December 11, 2024
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Kobayashi’s father, Ryan, took his own just two weeks after arriving in L.A. to search for his daughter. According to her aunt, Pidgeon, the relentless harassment and online trolling pushed him over the edge.
“It’s bulls—t! It’s such bulls—t!” Pidgeon told The Post at the time. “If Ryan is looking at all this s–t, imagine that weighing on him?”
“He broke,” she continued. “He died of a broken heart. We were tirelessly searching, and Ryan was a big, giant teddy bear. He’s sensitive. Imagine looking in places like Skid Row, picturing his daughter being sex-trafficked, not getting sleep. He just broke.”
