Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman whose disappearance at LAX prompted a weeks-long search in the city, has spoken out for the first time since returning to the U.S. from Mexico, according to a statement issued by her family.
“At daybreak on December 15th, I crossed the border back into the United States,” Kobayashi said in a statement provided by her aunt, Larie Pidgeon.
“My focus now is on my healing, my peace and my creativity. I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time.”
In the statement, Kobayashi said that she didn’t learn of the media coverage around her family reporting her missing until she returned.
“I was unaware of everything that was happening in the media while I was away, and I am still processing it all. I kindly ask for respect for myself, my family, and my loved ones as I navigate through this challenging time. Thank you for your understanding,” she wrote.
Kobayashi disappeared after missing her Nov. 8 connecting flight to New York at LAX, her family said. She was reported missing after her family said she sent them cryptic text messages suggesting that her identity and money had been stolen.
The investigation culminated with the Los Angeles Police Department 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.
Police officials said they got notification from Customs Border Protection that Kobayashi reentered the U.S. from Mexico on Sunday and “appeared in good health,” according to a department news release. The case was closed, and Kobayashi has been removed from the missing and unidentified persons system.
Kobayashi’s family pushed back on the official police narrative that their loved one had gone off on her own, insisting that she was still missing.
Officials said that on Nov. 12, the 30-year-old used cash and her passport to get a bus ticket to Union Station in order to reach the San Ysidro border crossing, where she crossed into Mexico through a tunnel.
Kobayashi’s father, Ryan, traveled from Hawaii to Los Angeles to help look for his daughter. His body was found Nov. 24 near LAX; authorities deemed his death a suicide.
Kobayashi’s disappearance was the second case in which a woman was reported missing by their families to the LAPD and their statements conflicted with official police narrative.
“Gossip Girl” actress Chanel Banks was reported missing by her family in November before police revealed she was found safe in Texas.
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