Twist in Hannah Kobayashi case as mystery man who spent hours with missing woman before she vanished speaks out
Police have disclosed that a stranger who was observed conversing with Hannah Kobayashi for hours before to her disappearance was a “listening ear” to her.
After missing her connecting aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport on November 8 that would have taken her to New York City for a solo excursion, the 30-year-old Hawaiian woman was reported missing.
However, it was disclosed on December 2 that the missing woman crossed the US-Mexico border on foot on November 12 after police claimed she “voluntarily disappeared” from LAX.
Investigators said the wannabe photographer was seen on CCTV in Tijuana after using her passport and money to buy a bus ticket to the border.
However, Kobayashi stayed the night in Los Angeles with a stranger she met close to the airport prior to these occurrences.
According to investigators, the two seemed to click right away. They spent around nine hours together, strolling throughout the city before heading to Union Station, where they dozed off.
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MEETING WITH STRANGER
Investigating this encounter with the man who might have threatened her life yielded important information, Lieutenant Doug Oldfield told the news site.
“For a while, he was the last person to have seen her when we didn’t know where she was,” Oldfield continued.
“So we did have to spend a few days on this to ensure that nothing bad happened.”
However, Detective Omar Franco disclosed that their inquiry into the man demonstrated that he had no malicious intent and had supported the Maui woman by listening to her.
“She simply talked about her personal life, her romantic life, her life in Maui, and other topics. Franco told People, “And he simply listened to her.”
The unnamed man told police that Kobayashi was a “free spirit” and that they spoke after meeting at the LAX train station at approximately 9 p.m. on November 11.
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He reported to the police that she appeared normal, lucid, and unfrightened.
According to reports, she informed him that she was originally going to New York and that she wanted to see the redwoods before losing her connection.
Police think she attempted to rebook a flight, but the cost was too high. They also discovered that Kobayashi abandoned her phone at the airport for an unknown reason.
The detectives also described how the two appeared to start a conversation when Kobayashi asked the man for directions to Union Station and he gave her one.
The disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi
After missing a trip to New York during a layover in Los Angeles, Hannah Kobayashi set off a major search. This is a chronology of the case’s occurrences.
On Friday, November 8, Hannah departs from her Maui home and lands in Los Angeles in preparation for her subsequent journey to New York City. At 11 p.m., she has forty-two minutes to make the flight.
On Saturday, November 9, Hannah is scheduled to arrive at New York City’s JFK airport at 7 am, but she never does. An hour away from the Los Angeles airport, she is spotted inside a bookstore in The Grove.
Sunday, November 10: Along with a number of other cryptic texts, Hannah sends a message expressing her fear and anxiety about someone attempting to take her identity and money. Later, she is spotted at a Nike event in Los Angeles at The Grove.
On Monday, November 11, Hannah returns to LAX due to her phone data. She shares a photo from the Nike event on her Instagram account. Then she switches off her phone.
Tuesday, November 12: Hannah takes a bus from Union Station to San Ysidro, San Diego, and then crosses the border into Tijuana, Mexico, without her family knowing.
On Wednesday, November 13, the family flies to Los Angeles to look for her and files a missing person’s report. They have been told that she was last spotted with an unnamed male at Downtown Los Angeles’ Pico Station.
Sunday, November 24: Ryan, Hannah’s father, commits suicide and is discovered dead in a Los Angeles parking lot after searching Skid Row and other neighborhoods for almost a week.
Monday, December 2: Authorities report that Hannah was seen on security film entering Mexico from the United States on November 12 and that she desired to distance herself from contemporary technology. The inquiry has been put on hold.
Tuesday, December 3: In a statement issued by their lawyer, Hannah’s family promises to continue searching for her.
After eating supper together and dozing off in a waiting area when they arrived at Union Station, Franco disclosed that she picked up her bags and “walked[ed] off on her own.”
According to Oldfield, “these things we were able to corroborate,”
After assembling the video and interview evidence, he added, investigators’ concerns were allayed, but they still needed to approach the case with an open mind.
‘FREE SPIRIT’
Officers discovered video of the couple grinning while strolling around the streets of Los Angeles.
“We’re seeking to observe if this person appears distressed and what her appearance might be. A lot of people are grinning,” Oldfield remarked.
In a different video, she walks past two police officers and may have the opportunity to ask for assistance if something is amiss.
“So, from here, we’re able to then get a better idea of who this guy was and we identified him.”
Kobayashi was spotted purchasing a bus ticket to the border by himself on November 12 at 6:10 a.m.
Since then, investigators have determined that the stranger did not commit any crimes, and Kobayashi is not believed to be a “suspect in any criminal activity” or a victim of foul play.
When Kobayashi left Maui, they observed, he “expressed the desire to step away from modern connectivity.”
Although the investigation is now over, police told People that they would like to hear “her side of the story” and make sure she is okay.
FAMILY HEARTBREAK
After expressing concerns that she is in danger, Kobayashi’s family has persisted in claiming that her escape to Mexico is out of character, even as officials confirmed the conclusion of their inquiry.
When she failed to get in touch after her father’s suicide during his protracted hunt for the missing woman, they intensified their suspicions.
“She would never have thought to not reach out to anybody in her right state of mind, with my father’s passing being everywhere,” Kobayashi’s sister Sydni told Hawaii News Now.
According to earlier statements from the family, Kobayashi’s search is “far from over and they are committed to doing everything possible to bring her home safely.”
A series of strange texts sent from Kobayashi’s phone two days after she missed her connecting flight have become the subject of public statements.
According to her friend, Kobayashi claimed in a text that she was “tricked” into giving away her money to someone she “thought she loved,” and she was apparently afraid that someone was attempting to steal both her identity and her money.
A “spiritual awakening” was mentioned in another communication, which also included an apology for behaving nuts.
In yet another heartbreaking development, two Venmo payments were made to a man and a woman on November 9 according to an exclusive story by The U.S. Sun.
Her relatives said that they were unable to identify the recipients of the money transfers.
Police have looked into the possibility that Kobayashi was involved in a green card marriage scam after a wedding photo surfaced online.
CONTINUED SEARCH
The family said in a statement released on December 3 by NewsNation reporter Brian Entin:
“We sincerely appreciate the promptness and commitment that law enforcement has showed in looking into Hannah’s abduction.
“Our family encourages everyone to keep searching and is still hopeful that Hannah is safe.
We ask the public and law enforcement to remain focused on finding Hannah and to refrain from drawing speculative inferences. We want answers and a resolution that guarantees her safety.
“Spreading awareness and sharing verified information about her case is crucial, and we deeply appreciate your continued support in these efforts.”
In order to continue their search for Kobayashi in Mexico, the family is requesting assistance from the US State Department in obtaining money.
As of Friday, the campaign had raised $47,612 of its $50,000 target, sparking internet controversy as social media users demanded that the family close it due to allegations that Kobayashi voluntarily vanished.
The lawyer for Kobayashi’s family, Sara Azari, stated that the family had no intention of removing it while “search efforts are not over.”
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“The need for money has increased, but thatGoFundMe’s mission has not changed,” Azari told The U.S. Sun.
You can text Crisis Text Line at 741741, chat on 988lifeline.org, or call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 if you or someone you know is impacted by any of the concerns discussed in this story.
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