Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaiian woman who disappeared at Los Angeles International Airport, sparking a weeks-long search in the city, has spoken out for the first time since returning to the United States from Mexico, according to a statement released by her family.
“At dawn on December 15, I crossed the border back into the United States,” Kobayashi said in a statement provided by her aunt, Larry Pidgeon.
“I am now focused on my healing, peace, and creativity. I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time.”
Kobayashi said in a statement that she did not know that the media surrounding her family had reported her missing until she returned to Japan.
“While I was away, I had no idea what was going on in the media and I’m still processing everything. Please respect myself, my family, and my loved ones as we go through this difficult time.” Thank you for your understanding,” she wrote.
Kobayashi’s family said she went missing after missing her connecting flight to New York at LAX on Nov. 8. She was reported missing after her family said she sent cryptic text messages suggesting her identity and money had been stolen.
The investigation culminated in Los Angeles police classifying her as a “voluntarily disappeared person,” with no evidence of criminal activity, and videotaping her crossing the border into Mexico. The Los Angeles Police Department also said it does not believe Kobayashi is a victim of human trafficking or criminal activity.
Law enforcement officials said they were notified by Customs and Border Protection that Kobayashi reentered the United States from Mexico on Sunday and “appears to be in good health.” The case was closed and Kobayashi was removed from the missing persons/unidentified persons system.
Kobayashi’s family denied the official police statement that their loved one was on his own and maintained that Kobayashi was still missing.
On Nov. 12, the 30-year-old woman used cash and her passport to get a bus ticket to Union Station to get to the San Ysidro border crossing, where she drove through a tunnel into Mexico, officials said. I entered the country.
Kobayashi’s father, Ryan, traveled from Hawaii to Los Angeles to help search for his daughter. His body was discovered near LAX on November 24th. Authorities deemed his death a suicide.
Kobayashi’s disappearance was the second case in which a woman’s family reported her missing to the Los Angeles Police Department, and their statements contradicted the official police account.
“Gossip Girl” actress Chanel Banks was reported missing by her family in November before police announced she was found safe in Texas.
