Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi ‘has been found safe,’ after missing for 4 weeks. Here’s a timeline of the case
By Artemis Moshtaghian and Karina Tsui, CNN
(CNN) — Hannah Kobayashi “has been found safe,” her family announced on Wednesday — more than four weeks after her disappearance and their urgent appeals for information.
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” her sister, Sydni, and mother, Brandi Yee, said in a statement. “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.”
The family’s lawyer, Sara Azari, shared the announcement on X. The statement did not specify Kobayashi’s location or detail how the family confirmed her safety.
The Hawaii native traveled from Maui to Los Angeles on November 8, with plans to catch a connecting flight to New York City the same day, but she did not board the flight, Sydni Kobayashi said.
Described as an artistic and creative soul, Hannah Kobayashi was headed to New York where she planned to take pictures at a DJ’s mid-November show in Brooklyn.
Her family has described the days following her disappearance as filled with troubling signs, including unusual financial transactions and multiple sightings.
Los Angeles police have said investigators determined Kobayashi intentionally missed her flight to New York and she kept in contact with family and was active on Instagram over the next few days.
But in social media posts made prior to leaving Maui, Kobayashi suggested having a strong desire to detach from modern connectivity, police said in early December.
Below is a timeline of the series of events after Kobayashi’s disappearance:
November 8: Hannah Kobayashi flies from Maui to Los Angeles International Airport with plans to fly to New York City. She was traveling on the same itinerary as her ex-boyfriend, with both initially planning to take a flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport. The ex-boyfriend, unlike Kobayashi, boards his connecting flight. Surveillance cameras show Kobayashi leaving the plane wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and tie-dyed leggings.
November 9: Kobayashi is seen at a Taschen bookstore in The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles. That same day she makes Venmo transactions to two unidentified individuals.
November 10: A YouTube video surfaces showing Kobayashi at the LeBron XXII Trial event at the Nike store in The Grove. She shares a photo from this event on her Instagram account.
November 11: This was the last day anyone was in contact with Kobayashi. She texts her mother, telling her she hasn’t reached New York. She also sends alarming messages to a friend, saying, “Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday,” and “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds.”
Surveillance footage from this day shows Kobayashi at a downtown Los Angeles Metro station near Crypto.com Arena, accompanied by an unidentified person. Her family says she “does not appear to be in good condition.”
The individual seen with Kobayashi at the Metro station was cooperative in the investigation and was interviewed with his attorney present, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said during a news conference on December 2. Hannah and the individual met at LAX, McDonnell added.
Police also said Kobayashi checked her luggage through to New York but requested her bags be sent back to LAX. On this day, Kobayashi was seen retrieving her luggage at a baggage carousel at LAX before traveling to Union Station to buy a bus ticket to San Ysidro, an area of San Diego close to the US-Mexico border.
November 12: At 12:13 p.m. Kobayashi crosses the US border on foot into Mexico. “She was alone, with her luggage, and appeared unharmed,” McDonnell said on December 2.
November 15: The Los Angeles Police Department creates a missing person poster for Kobayashi, describing her as last seen at the airport with freckles and a forearm tattoo.
November 24: Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, is found dead around 4 a.m. on West Century Boulevard near the airport. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office rules his death a suicide. “After tirelessly searching Los Angeles for 13 days for Hannah, Ryan Kobayashi tragically took his own life,” the Kobayashi family said in a statement. Hannah’s aunt, Larie Pidgeon, told CNN that he “died of a broken heart.”
November 26: In a Board of Police Commissioners meeting, McDonnell provides an update on Kobayashi’s case, saying investigators determined Hannah Kobayashi intentionally missed her flight from Los Angeles to New York. Investigators also noted that upon arriving in Los Angeles, Kobayashi “maintained contact with her family and remained active on Instagram” over the next few days.
December 1: Investigators from the LAPD’s Missing Persons Unit travel to the US-Mexico border where they viewed surveillance video from the US Customs and Border Protection of Kobayashi crossing the border.
December 2: Police announce they have classified Kobayashi as a voluntary missing person and say the investigation will not continue into Mexico.
“The classification of Kobayashi as a voluntary missing person reflects a careful balance between respecting her right to privacy and the absence of concrete evidence indicating foul play,” the LAPD said in a news release.
Law enforcement will be notified if Kobayashi reenters the US and “will do anything if they need to,” McDonnell said, adding there is no reason for authorities to detain or arrest her.
December 11: Kobayashi “has been found safe,” the family’s lawyer shared in a statement on social media. The statement did not disclose Kobayashi’s location or how the family confirmed her safety. The family requested privacy as they navigate the emotional aftermath of the ordeal.
CNN’s Hanna Park contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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