Family hasn’t heard from Hawaii woman in over a week after she misses flight to New York

CNN

By Caroll Alvarado, Michelle Watson and Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN

(CNN) — It’s been more than a week since Hannah Kobayashi missed a flight connection in Los Angeles. After a series of suspicious texts from her phone, the 30-year-old Hawaii woman has gone silent – and her family is desperately trying to find her.

Kobayashi was traveling from Maui, Hawaii, to New York and had a connecting flight at Los Angeles International Airport, her sister, Sydni, told CNN by phone Monday. She had the same itinerary as an ex-boyfriend; the pair decided to keep their flights since they couldn’t get a refund but would be going their separate ways once they landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Hannah was going to spend time in upstate New York with her aunt, Sydni said. But November 11 was the last day anyone heard from her.

Sydni said text messages from Hannah in the lead-up to her disappearance did not sound like her. Hannah used words like “hun,” “love” and “babe.”

“I personally don’t think that was my sister,” Sydni said. “She doesn’t use the word ‘hun.’ ‘Love’ and ‘babe,’ but never ‘hun.’ Even her close friends have said the same.”

Sydni added, “The reason why it’s so concerning is because we’re so close and I’ve known her to always be very grounded and she’s always had a calm and collected demeanor. Yes, she’s a free and independent spirit and she likes to travel, she’s a writer and photographer, but she’s never done anything like this on purpose.”

The timeline

On Friday, November 8, Hannah took a flight from Maui to Los Angeles. CNN has obtained a photo that appears to show Hannah getting off the flight at the Los Angeles airport. Hannah did not board her scheduled flight to New York that night, her sister told CNN. Her ex-boyfriend, however, took that connecting flight.

The next day, Hannah was spotted at a Taschen bookstore at a shopping center called The Grove in Los Angeles, her sister said, and her family doesn’t know why. She then sent a Venmo payment to two people whose names the family does not recognize, according to Sydni.

On Sunday, November 10, Sydni said, a video was posted on YouTube showing Hannah at the LeBron XXII Trial Experience, an event held at the Nike store in the same shopping center. A photo of the event was also posted on her Instagram account.

On November 11 – the last day anyone heard from Hannah – her mother texted her, asking whether she made it to New York. Hannah responded no, Sydni said. Hannah also sent messages to a friend saying she didn’t feel safe, and that someone was trying to steal her identify and funds, according to screenshots Sydni sent to CNN.

“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday,” one message from Hannah to a friend said.

Another message said, “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds,” followed by a message saying “For someone I thought I loved.”

On Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department missing persons unit made a poster about Hannah’s disappearance, saying she was last seen at the airport. It said she has freckles on her face and a tattoo on her forearm.

CNN has reached out to the LAPD for more information. The FBI is assisting the LAPD in the investigation, the field office said in an email to CNN on Monday.

On Sunday, in a statement posted to Facebook, Sydni said the family had obtained surveillance footage showing Hannah around the downtown Metro train station near Crypto.com Arena, although it was unclear exactly when that footage was taken.

In the footage, Hannah is not alone and “does not appear to be in good condition,” the family wrote on Facebook, saying they are unable to share further details.

“She’s always been kind, courteous and loving has had a warm nature to her. She’s always been levelheaded,” Sydni said, adding that six people, including her father and a family friend, are in Los Angeles helping with the search.

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