Hannah Kobayashi, who was reported missing after landing at LAX, found safe, family says [View all]

Hannah Kobayashi, the Maui woman deemed “voluntarily missing” by the Los Angeles Police Department after she vanished last month and crossed the border to Mexico, has been found safe, her family announced Wednesday.

“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” Kobayashi’s family said in a statement. “This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through.”

Kobayashi disappeared after missing her Nov. 8 connecting flight to New York at the Los Angeles International Airport, according to her family. She was reported missing after her family said she sent them cryptic text messages suggesting that her identity and money had been stolen.

Kobayashi’s disappearance spawned a weeks-long search that culminated in the LAPD classifying her as a “voluntary missing person,” saying there was no evidence of criminal activity and video showed her crossing the border into Mexico. LAPD also said they didn’t believe Kobayashi was a victim of trafficking or foul play.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-12-11/hannah-kobayashi-found-safe