Hannah Kobayashi’s family said they found and made contact with Hannah, who has been missing since early November.
In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, the family said, “We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe. 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.”
No details about Kobayashi’s whereabouts were given, nor did the family share any information about the possible reasons Kobayashi disappeared. Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Police Department reclassified Kobayashi as a voluntary missing person after surveillance footage showed her crossing the border into Mexico on her own.
The family ended their statement by saying, “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 statement was signed by Kobayashi’s mother, Brandi Yee, and her sister, Sydni Kobayashi.
Kobayashi disappeared in November while she was supposed to be traveling from her home in Hawaii to New York to visit her aunt. But after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport for a layover, Kobayashi did not board her connecting flight to New York City. Surveillance cameras instead caught her leaving the airport and riding the metro to downtown Los Angeles.
In the days that followed, Kobayashi was spotted at several different locations, including a shopping mall and a Nike event. On. Nov. 11, she was seen talking to a ticketing agent at LAX, after which she reportedly got on the metro and was later seen leaving Pico station with an unknown person. The following morning, surveillance cameras caught Kobayashi at the Greyhound bus terminal at Union Station. She was seen entering Mexico a few hours later via the tunnel at the San Ysidro border crossing.
Kobayashi crossed the border not long after family and friends received their last known communications from her. On Nov. 11, Kobayashi’s mother texted her to ask if she’d made it to New York, and Kobayashi replied no. Kobayashi also sent messages to friends saying she did not feel safe and thought someone was trying to steal her identity. Subsequent efforts to reach Kobayashi failed as her phone was shut off (and police later said they believed Kobayashi did not take her phone to Mexico).
Despite those cryptic texts, the police said their investigation had not turned up any evidence that Kobayashi was the victim of foul play, or that she was being trafficked. In announcing the reclassification of her case earlier this month, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said, “She has a right to her privacy, and we respect her choices, but we also understand the concern loved ones feel for her. A simple message could reassure those she cares about.”
During the search for Kobayashi, her father, Ryan Kobayashi, died from an apparent suicide. Ryan had flown to Los Angeles to help look for his daughter and was eventually found dead in a parking lot near LAX. The Los Angeles County medical examiner said he died from blunt force traumatic injuries.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
