The family of Hannah Kobayashi, a missing Maui woman, has spoken out after she was spotted crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, urging the public to “avoid speculative conclusions.”
Kobayashi, 30, was reported missing after she flew from her home state to Los Angeles on Nov. 8 for a connecting flight to New York City that she never boarded.
Security footage later captured her leaving the airport, carrying only a backpack. She was then seen several times in the greater Los Angeles area in the following days, before she stopped responding to messages on November 11.
It has since been revealed that the aspiring photographer went to Union Station that day and used her passport to buy a ticket to the border.
Kobayashi was then seen in images from the border near Tijuana that showed her alive on Nov. 12 and 13, about 11 days before her father took his own life, Los Angeles police announced Monday.
“We are deeply grateful for the urgency and dedication that law enforcement has shown in the investigation of Hannah’s disappearance,” the Kobayashi family said in a statement. shared online by NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin.
“Our family is hopeful that Hannah is safe and urges everyone to continue the search,” they continued, saying the search for her “is far from over and we are committed to doing everything we can to bring her home safely.” “.
“We want answers and a resolution that ensures Hannah’s safety and we urge authorities and the public to remain focused on finding her and avoid speculative conclusions.
Hannah Kobayashi, 30, was seen crossing the US-Mexico border on November 12, while her family reported her missing.
The family has long claimed they were concerned she might be in danger.
“Spreading awareness and sharing verified information about her case is crucial, and we deeply appreciate your continued support in these efforts,” the family said.
They have repeatedly shared their concerns that Hannah may be in danger,
His sister, Sydni, said that even if he had decided to go offline, he would have reached out after his father took his own life during search efforts.
“With my father passing away, being everywhere, in his right state of mind, I would never have thought about not reaching out to anyone,” he said. Hawaii News Now said.
Sydni also shared similar sentiments. with NewsNation.
“Knowing her intuitively and being so close to her my whole life, I know this is not like her,” the sister said worriedly.
She went on to say that she is convinced that Hannah would not have run away and that she was “an amazing, beautiful person.”
Kobayashi was seen leaving Los Angeles International Airport, carrying only a backpack, as police say she “intentionally” missed her connecting flight to New York City.
The family also claimed that they received a series of strange text messages from Kobayashi that seemed to suggest that he was in trouble and that someone had stolen his money.
In the messages, he claimed that he had recently experienced a “spiritual awakening” after reuniting with his family in New York.
In another, he stated: “Deep Hackers deleted my identity, stole all my funds and have had me in trouble since Friday.”
A third text message to a friend said she was “practically tricked into donating all my funds to someone I thought I loved.”
Kobayashi also sent some unusual payments to Venmo after her disappearance.
Kobayashi’s family argued that she was acting unusually in the days after she missed her flight to New York, citing strange text messages and Venmo payments.
A payment was sent at 6:25 pm on November 9 to a person named Verónica Almendarez for an unknown amount, and the payment description only shows a drawn bow and arrow emoji.
The second was made less than an hour later to someone named Jonathan Taylor, also for an undisclosed amount, and the description only said: “Reading.”
Family members said they did not recognize any of the names and noted that Kobayashi’s phone has been off since Nov. 11 and that her last marked location was Los Angeles International Airport.
But Los Angeles police have since determined that Kobayashi “intentionally” lost his connection to the Big Apple on Nov. 8, and now classify his disappearance as “voluntary.”
Police noted there was no evidence of human trafficking or criminal acts and stated that she appeared to have wanted a less complicated life.
“Investigators noted that prior to departing Maui, Kobayashi expressed a desire to get away from modern connectivity,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.
Authorities added that they will not continue their investigation of Kobayashi, but will be notified if she returns to the United States and are encouraging her to contact police or the U.S. embassy in Mexico to “confirm her well-being.”
In the midst of the search efforts, Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, took his own life.
Police say they will not continue their investigation of Kobayashi but will be notified if he returns to the United States.
Before the news, Kobayashi’s family shut down the Facebook page dedicated to their search efforts, claiming they were receiving death threats.
The Help Us Find Hannah page was removed from the social media site on Sunday, and Kobayashi’s sister, Sydni, and her mother, Brandi Yee, said they had been reporting the threats to the FBI.
There are now also questions about the GoFundMe the family created now that it has been determined that Kobayashi is not a victim of foul play.
Many donors to the fundraiser, which raised more than $47,000, are demanding refunds.
The fundraiser was organized on November 15 with a goal of $50,000. As of Tuesday, he was 94 percent of the way there.
According to GoFundMe, the money would be used for food and hydration for search teams, transportation, communication devices and technology, a media campaign, “temporary housing for essential personnel,” and on-site support for the family.
On November 26, the family updated the fundraiser to add Kobayashi’s father’s funeral costs to their reach.
A GoFundMe spokesperson confirmed that the fundraiser remains within their terms of service at this time.