Hannah Kobayashi’s household has gathered in Los Angeles to retrace the lacking photographer’s steps after she missed her switch flight to New York then disappeared after a collection of cryptic messages and a short look with an unknown man on surveillance footage close to Skid Row.
The 31-year-old Oahu, Hawaii, resident had deliberate a trip to see her aunt in New York Metropolis and flew from Maui to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport on Nov. 8, her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, informed Fox Information Digital. She was elated about her first music pictures gig within the metropolis, had an concerned journey itinerary and had paid 1000’s for her lodge room, Pidgeon mentioned.
Kobayashi was scheduled to take a connecting flight to New York, with a 40-minute layover at 11 a.m., and deliberate to go to a present together with her aunt, however she by no means acquired on that flight. Her household is uncertain why.
Then family and friends acquired a flurry of weird textual content messages that did not match the younger girl’s typical cadence. She texted a good friend that she “acquired tricked into just about gifting away all my funds” and that she was tricked “for somebody I assumed I liked.”
HAWAII WOMAN’S CRYPTIC TEXT MESSAGES PROMPT CONCERN AFTER DISAPPEARANCE
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, was final seen on surveillance footage from the Pico Metro station with an unknown man on Nov. 11. She by no means boarded her flight from LAX to JFK on Nov. 8. (Larie Pidgeon)
“There was not a single emoji. She’s an artist. … As an alternative of a … query mark, she would put a crystal ball – she’s simply that cute – and there was none of that,” Pidgeon mentioned on Thursday. “She mentioned that somebody was attempting to steal her funds, not money, not cash, funds. Like, who makes use of that phrase?”
“She [wrote she] was having a religious awakening, that she was involved concerning the matrix. It was simply essentially the most weird textual content messages. And it went from, ‘Hello, I can not wait to see you guys. Love you. Every part’s nice.'”
Earlier than sending the messages, Kobayashi was seen speaking to a ticketing agent and attempting to get a direct flight to New York quite than ready on standby, Pidgeon mentioned.
Hannah Kobayashi is pictured on surveillance footage from LAX on Nov. 8. Her household says there may be additionally surveillance footage from Nov. 11 exhibiting her with an unknown man on the Pico Metro Station in downtown Los Angeles however that it has but to be launched to the general public. (Lacking Folks of America/Fb)
Kobayashi’s mom reported her lacking on Nov. 11, Pidgeon mentioned, the day that communications from the lady’s cellphone to household and associates halted. By their very own investigative work, the household considered surveillance footage of Kobayashi from that day with an unknown man close to the Pico Metro station in downtown L.A.
“The Pico station is in a really unhealthy neighborhood, [and] it was late at night time,” Pidgeon mentioned. “That causes us much more alarm as a result of it is not a spot that Hannah would go. There isn’t any motive that she would go to a neighborhood of crime. Even when she mentioned, ‘Hey, I have to go get a lodge room as a result of I am drained,’ there’s 18 motels by the airport … she must have two switch stations to get to this station.”
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Hannah Kobayashi’s household traveled to Los Angeles to distribute fliers close to the place she was final seen. (Larie Pidgeon)
Though Kobayashi’s mom, Brandi Yee, filed a missing-persons report with the division, Pidgeon mentioned detectives “have not even referred to as [her] to speak to her concerning the final conversations that we had with Hannah.”
“We will not launch the footage; we’d like to get it launched to the general public by the LAPD,” Pidgeon mentioned on Thursday. “We have seen it, we all know that it is on the market, and we’re like, ‘Why is it not getting launched?’ At this level it has been 10 days, I really feel prefer it might assist a lot within the investigation.”
The Los Angeles Police Division’s press workplace couldn’t affirm whether or not they had considered the footage or contacted the household, solely that Kobayashi had been reported lacking and that they’d distributed a flier on their social media accounts.
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Kobayashi despatched mysterious texts to family and friends earlier than shedding contact fully, writing that she “acquired tricked into just about gifting away all [her] funds.” (Larie Pidgeon)
Kobayashi additionally charged her cellphone with an worker inside The Grove out of doors open-air mall and had stuffed out an software for a guide membership on the TASCHEN guide retailer utilizing her Hawaii deal with on Nov. 11, her aunt mentioned. Witnesses there informed the household that Kobayashi “was in good spirits” and mentioned that “she had slightly little bit of time to discover in L.A.,” Pidgeon mentioned.
“Each confirmed sighting that she has with a person, she’s of sound thoughts,” Pidgeon mentioned of her conversations with those that final spoke to her niece. “She’s pleased, she’s form. She does not seem [to be] drunk or on any substances. … That’s the reason we’re right here handing out fliers and flying in, as a result of it’s so in contrast to our character.”
Kobayashi’s household held a rally on Thursday on the Crypto.com Enviornment at hand out fliers and search the world close to the place she was final seen.
“We’re simply operating,” Pidgeon mentioned. “You understand, we’re simply taking place and up and down Skid Row.”
Pidgeon described her niece, pictured, as an outgoing one who makes these round her snort and dabbles in fireplace spinning, DJing and charity work. (Larie Pidgeon)
“We need to do as many interviews as we will. The longer that we preserve her identify on the market, the longer that she’s on the information, the higher likelihood that her household has to get her again,” Pidgeon mentioned. “I’ve grow to be a press secretary, a journalist, a photographer. That is how a lot we love her.”
Pidgeon mentioned the 31-year-old “does the whole lot” and dabbles in fireplace spinning, DJing and charity work.
“She’s a pivotal individual in her group, she’s a beautiful individual, an awesome daughter, she makes everybody snort,” Pidgeon mentioned. “If I am having an issue at 2 a.m., I can name Hannah as a result of she’ll choose up.”
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, was heading to New York Metropolis to go to household. (Hannah Kobayashi by way of Instagram)
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Family and friends have been making minute-long movies sharing recollections of Kobayashi to distribute below the hashtag “#FindHannah.” To date, Pidgeon mentioned, about 30 folks have despatched movies, a testomony to “how unbelievable she is.”
“I am simply grateful for all the opposite finest needs and help from the group and Hawaii, New York, California, each in every single place,” Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, informed Fox Information Digital. “You understand, it is simply wonderful. We miss you, Hannah. We love you. There’s only a phrase anyplace. I will begin.”
Anybody with info is requested to name the household at 845-750-3006.