LOS ANGELES (TCN) — The attorney for the family of Hannah Kobayashi announced Wednesday that the 30-year-old woman was found safe one month after she disappeared.
On Wednesday, Dec. 11, Sara Azari released a statement on behalf of the family that read, “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.”
The statement continued, “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.”
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Kobayashi flew from Maui to Los Angeles on Nov. 8 and was seen on surveillance footage at different spots around the city until Nov. 11. She had plans to fly to New York, but she never made it on the flight. She requested her bag be sent back to Los Angeles, and she retrieved it at the airport on Nov. 11. LAPD said Kobayashi “knowingly departed Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Nov. 11, 2024, with her luggage and traveled to Union Station.”
At Union Station, she reportedly bought a bus ticket and traveled to San Ysidro, California, which is close to the U.S.-Mexico border. Once she arrived in San Ysidro, she crossed into Mexico.
LAPD announced on Dec. 2 that they were classifying her as a “voluntary missing person” because video footage “clearly shows 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi crossing the United States border on foot into Mexico. She was alone, with her luggage.”
Her loved ones flew to Los Angeles to search for the Hawaii native. Her father was found dead from apparent suicide in a parking lot near LAX several days later.
Los Angeles Magazine reported Kobayashi’s family became concerned that she became involved in a green card marriage scam involving her ex and a new Argentinian husband. Azari said in a statement on Dec. 4 that the family “has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this information.”
Be sure to watch the “True Crime News” segment below for more information about the case.
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