The search for Hana Kobayashi continues, two and a half weeks after the Maui woman mysteriously disappeared after failing to catch a connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York.
Adding to the mystery is the recent news about her father, Ryan Kobayashi Found dead In Los Angeles over the weekend after he traveled to the city to search for her. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office decided He died by suicide.
The Kobayashi family had been searching tirelessly for the 31-year-old woman, and their grief is now compounded by Ryan’s death.
“The family of Hana Kobayashi urgently appeals to the public to remain focused on the search for her.” he wrote in a statement Sunday. “Hannah remains missing and is believed to be in imminent danger.”
Read on to learn the timeline of Kobayashi’s disappearance and what we know about the case.
Trip to New York
On November 8, Kobayashi set off from Maui for upstate New York to spend time with his aunt.
she She never boarded her connecting flight From Los Angeles International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport on the same day.
Her sister Sydney previously told CNN that Kobayashi was on the same flight as her ex-boyfriend; They booked flights when they were a couple, but have since separated. They decided to keep the tickets because they couldn’t get a refund, but they planned to split up to enjoy separate vacations once they arrived in New York, she said.
According to the Associated Press, she told her family she would do so Sleeping at the airport That night.
Hana Kobayashi was spotted arriving at Los Angeles Airport on November 8.
Sydney Kobayashi/Facebook
the The next day she was spotted At The Grove shopping center in downtown Los Angeles, Fox News reported, he spends some time in a bookstore.
“I went to the library and asked the staff To charge her phone. “She charged her phone in there for an hour and a half while she got food,” her aunt, Larry Pidgeon, told Fox last week. She even filled out a mailing list with her Hawaii address, written in her own handwriting.
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On November 10, two days after missing her connecting flight, she was spotted at The Grove again, this time appearing in the background of a YouTube video from a Nike and LeBron James event that was happening at the mall that day. She too Posted on InstagramShe shares the event with her followers.
Strange text messages, another vision
November 11 was the last day anyone saw or heard from Kobayashi. Her sister told CNN that when her mother He sent Kobayashi a text When asked if she had finally arrived in New York, she said no.
But even more disturbing were the text messages Kobayashi sent to friends that day, saying she thought someone was trying to steal her identity and money, and that she didn’t feel safe.
“Deep Pirates I erased my identity“He stole all my money and has been making me think about it since Friday,” one message to a friend said, according to Hawaii News Now.
Another message read: “I was pretty much tricked into giving away all my money,” followed by a message that said: “For someone I thought I loved.”
“We started getting text messages saying she didn’t feel safe, that someone was trying to steal her money, that someone was trying to steal her money.” Take her ID“Weird things, calling us babe, things that weren’t the normal way you talk,” Pidgeon told USA Today of the texts.
Pidgeon also told KITV that Kobayashi’s aunt lives in New York She received a message from her niece’s phone That day he said, “I have just completed a very intense spiritual awakening.”
Another text in which he apologized for the “insanity,” adding afterward, “It was definitely intercepted.”
On the same day, Kobayashi was seen on surveillance footage at Los Angeles Airport talking to an American Airlines ticket agent for approximately 40 minutes. The family says they believe she was trying to get out of standby mode and get a direct flight from Los Angeles, but it was unsuccessful.
She was also spotted on surveillance camera at the Pico Metro light rail station in downtown Los Angeles that evening, along with an unidentified person, as she boarded the train.
Describing the sighting, the Kobayashi family said in a statement: “It is clear that Hana does not look well and that she is not alone.”
A missing person report has been filed
On November 12, the Kobayashi family filed a missing person’s report, and on November 15, the Los Angeles Police Department launched a social media campaign asking the public to come forward with information.
attached Informing the public of her disappearance She said she was last seen at the airport and has freckles on her face and a tattoo on her forearm.
While officials have not released much information in the case, investigators told the family they are retracing Kobayashi’s steps and requesting additional surveillance footage.
Kobayashi’s father dies
On Sunday, Ryan Kobayashi was found dead outside a convenience store near Los Angeles Airport.
He had flown to Los Angeles to search for his daughter, and the day before had taken to the streets to distribute flyers with several volunteer groups to raise awareness about her disappearance.
Details about Hana Kobayashi can be found on her sister’s Facebook page.
Sydney Kobayashi/Facebook
While the Los Angeles Police Department has not confirmed the cause of death, his family revealed that he committed suicide.
“This loss The family’s suffering worsens they wrote in a statement on Facebook.
“Pidgeon said she believes Ryan.”He died of a broken heart“.
“Being on the streets and seeing the possibilities of where his daughter could be. No sleep. Speculative rumors swirling around. “It affected him deeply,” she continued, describing her son-in-law as “the most compassionate and sensitive man,” and rejected unfounded speculation that he was involved in his daughter’s disappearance.
“This is the guy who just had it Mental breakdown “From sleep depression,” Pidgeon said. “Suicide is not something that was talked about. It wasn’t even a concept that we thought would happen. And now we’ve suffered two tragedies. We’re hanging on by a thread and we just need to keep looking, because there’s still hope for Hannah.”
Ryan’s niece, Amy Ko, set up a GoFundMe to raise money for his fiancée, Lee Jaina.
“Ryan’s love for his family was limitless, and he was willing to do anything for it Protect and care for his daughters,” Ko wrote in a description of the fundraiser, which had raised more than $5,500 as of Tuesday morning.
Kobayashi is described as being five feet, 10 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds, and having brown hair and brown eyes.
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— If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of emergency, please call 911 for immediate assistance.
For a directory of support services in your area, visit Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.
