Missing Hawaiian woman crossed US-Mexico border

Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman who went missing in Los Angeles, was seen on surveillance footage crossing the border into Mexico after she disappeared last month, authorities said Monday.

Kobayashi, 30, was reported missing after her family said she missed a connecting flight from Maui to New York City at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on November 8. She was subsequently captured on surveillance videos and images at various locations in Los Angeles. According to police, it will continue in Angeles in the next few days.

Larie Pidgeon, Kobayashi’s aunt, previously told USA TODAY that the family became alarmed after receiving uncharacteristic text messages from Kobayashi. The family said they last heard from Kobayashi on Nov. 11.

On November 12, Kobayashi’s family said they had filed a missing person report. The Los Angeles Police Department announced her as a missing person on November 15th.

Family members and friends flew to Los Angeles to form a search party to investigate Kobayashi’s troubling behavior and lack of communication. Volunteers joined the effort as the case gained national attention. On Nov. 24, her father, who had been trying to find his daughter, was found dead of an apparent suicide near LAX, police said.

On Monday, Los Angeles police said Kobayashi was missing voluntarily. The announcement came about a week after LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said investigators determined Kobayashi intentionally missed her flight.

During a press conference on Monday, McDonnell said that investigators from the LAPD Missing Persons Unit traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday and reviewed surveillance footage from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. According to McDonnell, the footage “clearly” showed Kobayashi entering Mexico on foot.

“She was alone with her luggage and appeared to be uninjured,” McDonnell said. “At this point, Kobayashi’s case was classified as a voluntary missing person.”

“Died of a broken heart”:Aunt of missing woman Hannah Kobayashi explains her father’s death

The footage shows Hannah Kobayashi crossing the US-Mexico border

McDonnell said investigators had conducted extensive witness interviews, reviewed surveillance footage and worked with local and federal law enforcement over the past three weeks.

Investigators later determined that Kobayashi had decided not to board her flight to New York City, something her family had denied, the Los Angeles Times reported. While Kobayashi was checking her luggage all the way to New York, the LAPD said Kobayashi asked to give her luggage back to her at LAX and surveillance footage showed her retrieving it from the baggage carousel on Nov. 11.

Further investigation revealed that Kobayashi “knowingly” left LAX with her bag on November 11, according to LAPD. She then traveled to Los Angeles Union Station – the city’s main train station – where she used her passport to buy a bus ticket to a destination near the California-Mexico border.

The LAPD said Kobayashi traveled from Union Station to San Ysidro, California, the next day and crossed the border into Mexico.

Police: There is no suspicion of criminal activity or foul play

The LAPD noted that while there had been speculation about possible involvement in human trafficking or crimes, investigators “found no evidence that Kobayashi was a victim of human trafficking or a victim of crimes.” Police added that Kobayashi was also not suspected of any criminal activity.

“In addition, investigators determined that prior to his departure from Maui, Kobayashi had expressed a desire to move away from modern connectivity,” the LAPD said. “The designation of Kobayashi as a voluntary missing person reflects a careful balance between respect for her right to privacy and the absence of concrete evidence of a crime.”

The LAPD will not continue its investigation in Mexico, but said law enforcement would be notified if Kobayashi returned to the United States.

According to police, Kobayashi’s missing person case remains active in the Missing and Unidentified Persons System until her safety is confirmed by law enforcement.

“Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of Ms. Kobayashi,” McDonnell confirmed. “We urge Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement, or U.S. Embassy personnel to let us know she is safe. She has the right to privacy and we respect her decisions, but we also understand the concern her loved ones feel.” A simple message could reassure those who care about her.

Who is Hannah Kobayashi?

Kobayashi is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds. She has brown hair, hazel eyes, and freckles on her face and usually wears glasses.

She also has a heart with a knife tattooed on her right forearm.

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