Hannah Kobayashi case: According to LAPD, the missing woman traveled to Mexico of her own free will and was not a victim

Hannah Kobayashi case: According to LAPD, the missing woman traveled to Mexico of her own free will and was not a victim

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman who went missing in Los Angeles, crossed the border into Mexico on her own four days after landing at LAX and was not a victim of a crime, the LAPD said Monday.

“To date, the investigation has revealed no evidence that Kobayashi was trafficked or was the victim of a crime,” said LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.

Investigators reviewed their social media accounts and found that they expressed a desire to “step away from modern connectivity,” he added.

The investigation found that although Kobayashi initially checked her bag all the way to New York, she later instructed that it be shipped to her at LAX, where she picked it up on November 11th.

LAPD press conference on Hannah Kobayashi

Chief Jim McDonnell and other LAPD officials provide an update on the investigation into Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman reported missing in Los Angeles.

She later used her passport and cash at Union Station to buy a bus ticket to the San Ysidro border crossing, where she entered Mexico on foot via a tunnel at 12:13 p.m. on November 12.

The LAPD did not pursue the investigation in Mexico because it appears she is not a victim of a crime. If she returns to the United States, law enforcement will be notified.

“We basically did everything we could do at that point,” McDonnell said. “She left the country and is now in another nation.”

It is believed that she does not have her phone with her. McDonnell urged her to contact her family or the nearest U.S. Embassy to ensure she is safe.

“She has a right to privacy and we respect her decisions,” McDonnell said. “But we also understand the concern that their loved ones have for them.”

Kobayashi flew from Maui to LAX on November 8th and was scheduled to take a connecting flight to New York a short time later. But she missed the flight and lost contact with her family within a few days after a few cryptic text messages. Family members traveled to Los Angeles to search for her.

Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead in a parking lot near LAX last weekend. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be suicide.

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