Amid the search for Hannah Kobayashi, a Hawaiian woman who went missing during a layover at Los Angeles International Airport, her father was found dead.
He had traveled to Los Angeles to help search for his 30-year-old daughter, who disappeared while traveling from Hawaii to New York.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the 58 year old’s death, stating that he was discovered in a parking lot near LAX at approximately 4 a.m. local time. However, they did not release any details regarding his cause of death.
The Kobayashi family is currently asking for privacy during this devastating tragedy. They are also urging the public to keep Hannah in their thoughts as the search for her is still underway.
Kobayashi had been traveling from Hawaii to New York when she went missing. According to her sister Sydni, she shared the same itinerary as her ex-boyfriend as the flights they had booked previously were non-refundable; they had planned on going their separate ways once they arrived at New York.
Kobayashi was going to spend time with her aunt, who lived in upstate New York.
Despite that, no one has heard of her since Nov. 11.
In the days up to her disappearance, Kobayashi sent several text messages, which were out of character, according to her sister, as she never used the words ‘babe’, ‘love’, and ‘hun’. Her friends also felt the same way.
The Timeline
Kobayashi left her home in Maui, Hawaii, on Friday, Nov. 8, and was headed to LAX, where she had a connecting flight to New York. However, she did not board her second flight that night.
The following day, she was seen at a bookstore at The Grove. However, her family are clueless as to why she was there.
Kobayashi then sent two Venmo payments to two individuals whose names the family have never heard of.
On Sunday, Nov. 10, Kobayashi was spotted in a YouTube video at the LeBron XXII Trial Experience, which was held at the same shopping center. Her sister said she also posted a picture from the event onto her Instagram account.
The following day, Kobayashi’s mother texted her asking whether or not she made it safely to New York. She told her no. Kobayashi also texted a friend stating that she didn’t feel safe and that she was convinced someone was trying to steal her identity and money.
According to Sydni, the family had obtained video surveillance that showed her sister walking in the train station downtown, near Crypto.com arena. However, the exact date of when that happened is unknown.
In the clip, Kobayashi could be seen walking beside another individual and ‘did not appear to be in good condition’, said her family.
Her family is currently seeking help from the general public. Ryan Kobayashi, who is representing them in media interviews, is urging anyone with information to come forward.
