Official LAPD statements or court rulings

Family Disputes LAPD Claim Missing Maui Woman, 30, Hannah Kobayashi, Crossed into Mexico Voluntarily

Dec 2, 2024, 09:45 PM

Missing Maui resident, 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi, disappeared after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on November 8. She was en route to visit her aunt in New York City and had a brief layover in Los Angeles, during which she intentionally missed her connecting flight, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. The LAPD reports that Kobayashi picked up her bags several days after missing her flight and used her passport and cash to purchase a ticket at LA's Union Station to travel to the border, expressing a desire to step away from 'modern connectivity.' Surveillance footage shows Kobayashi crossing into Mexico near Tijuana alone with her luggage between November 12 and 13. The LAPD now classifies her as a voluntary missing person and does not suspect foul play. Her family disputes the police's findings, expressing skepticism and insisting she wouldn't have intentionally disappeared. Her father, 58-year-old Ryan Kobayashi, traveled to Los Angeles to search for her but was found dead on November 24.