Authorities said Hannah Kobayashi, the 30-year-old Hawaii woman who has been missing for nearly a month after failing to board her connecting flight in Los Angeles, had previously said she wanted to disconnect from the world.

During a press conference on Monday, December 2, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said that based on surveillance footage, Kobayashi appeared to have voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico on November 12, a day after her family reported that her phone The last time this was done was pinging at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). They added that there is currently no evidence that the missing woman is a victim of human trafficking or a victim of a crime.

“In addition, investigators determined that before leaving Maui, Kobayashi had expressed a desire to move away from modern connectivity,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at the conference.

LAPD Lt. Douglas Oldfield further told reporters that their belief that Kobayashi wanted to sever ties was based on authorities’ investigation of her previous social media posts.

“We then saw indications that there were some desires or posts that were consistent with someone feeling the desire to disconnect from their phone,” Oldfield said, adding, “All we know is that they were using their phone didn’t have after she left.” LAX.”

Kobayashi traveled from her home in Maui to New York City with a stop in Los Angeles. Her aunt, Larie Pidegeon, previously told PEOPLE that her niece got a job as a DJ photographer and created a detailed schedule. Kobayashi flew from Maui to LAX on November 8, but did not board her connecting flight to New York City.

“For unknown reasons, she decided not to board her pre-scheduled flight to New York,” the LAPD said in a news release. “While checking her luggage all the way to New York, she requested that her luggage be returned to LAX, where we have surveillance footage of her retrieving it from the baggage carousel on November 11th.”

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Pidgeon told PEOPLE that on Nov. 11, Kobayashi’s family members began receiving text messages from their loved one saying, “I think someone is trying to steal my identity. I’m really scared.”

Pidgeon also said the messages were cryptic and out of character for her niece.

“Hannah talks with emojis,” she said, adding: “Usually there’s a heart, a flower or a fairy. That’s how she speaks. And these messages didn’t have a single emoji.”

The LAPD added that based on further investigation, Kobayashi “knowingly left” LAX and made his way to Union Station. There, police say, she used her passport to buy a bus ticket to a destination near the Mexican border.

“On the morning of November 12, 2024, she took the bus from Union Station to San Ysidro, California. Shortly after arriving in San Ysidro, she crossed the border into Mexico,” the LAPD said in the statement.

McConnell also said that Kobayashi “was alone with her luggage and appeared unharmed.”

Meanwhile, the LAPD urged Kobayashi to contact her family or authorities to let them know she is OK.

“She has a right to her privacy and we respect her decisions, but we also understand the concern her loved ones feel for her,” McDonnell said at the news conference. “A simple message could reassure those who care.”

“We are deeply grateful for the urgency and commitment of law enforcement in the investigation of Hannah’s disappearance,” Kobayashi’s family said in a statement shared with NBC News and NewsNation after the LAPD update.

They added: “Our family remains hopeful that Hannah is safe and urges everyone to continue the search. The search is far from over and we are committed to doing everything we can to bring her home safely.”

PEOPLE contacted Pidgeon for further comment.