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, advised Fox Information Digital. She was elated about her first music pictures gig within the metropolis, had an concerned journey itinerary and had paid hundreds 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 obtained on that flight. Her household is not sure why.
Then family and friends obtained a flurry of weird textual content messages that did not match the younger lady’s typical cadence. She texted a pal that she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds” and that she was tricked “for someone I thought I loved.”
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. … Instead of a … question mark, she would put a crystal ball – she’s just that cute – and there was none of that,” Pidgeon mentioned on Thursday. “She said that someone was trying to steal her funds, not cash, not money, funds. Like, who uses that word?”
“She [wrote she] was having a spiritual awakening, that she was concerned about the matrix. It was just the most bizarre text messages. And it went from, ‘Hi, I can’t wait to see you guys. Love you. Everything’s great.'”
Earlier than sending the messages, Kobayashi was seen speaking to a ticketing agent and attempting to get a direct flight to New York slightly than ready on standby, Pidgeon mentioned.
Hannah Kobayashi is pictured on surveillance footage from LAX on Nov. 8. Her household says there’s 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 Individuals 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 buddies 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 very bad neighborhood, [and] it was late at night,” Pidgeon mentioned. “That causes us even more alarm because it’s not a place that Hannah would go. There’s no reason that she would go to a neighborhood of crime. Even if she said, ‘Hey, I need to go get a hotel room because I’m tired,’ there’s 18 hotels by the airport … she would have to have two transfer 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 “haven’t even called [her] to talk to her about the last conversations that we had with Hannah.”
“We can’t release the footage; we would love to get it released to the public by the LAPD,” Pidgeon mentioned on Thursday. “We’ve seen it, we know that it’s out there, and we’re like, ‘Why is it not getting released?’ At this point it’s been 10 days, I feel like it could help so much in the investigation.”
The Los Angeles Police Division’s press workplace couldn’t verify whether or not they had considered the footage or contacted the household, solely that Kobayashi had been reported lacking and that that they had distributed a flier on their social media accounts.
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Kobayashi despatched mysterious texts to family and friends earlier than dropping contact fully, writing that she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all [her] funds.” (Larie Pidgeon)
Kobayashi additionally charged her cellphone with an worker inside The Grove outside open-air mall and had stuffed out an software for a ebook membership on the TASCHEN ebook retailer utilizing her Hawaii tackle on Nov. 11, her aunt mentioned. Witnesses there advised the household that Kobayashi “was in good spirits” and mentioned that “she had a little bit of time to explore in L.A.,” Pidgeon mentioned.
“Every confirmed sighting that she has with an individual, she’s of sound mind,” Pidgeon mentioned of her conversations with those that final spoke to her niece. “She’s happy, she’s kind. She doesn’t appear [to be] drunk or on any substances. … That is why we are here handing out fliers and flying in, because it is so unlike our character.”
Kobayashi’s household held a rally on Thursday on the Crypto.com Area at hand out fliers and search the realm close to the place she was final seen.
“We’re just running,” Pidgeon mentioned. “You know, we’re just going down and up and down Skid Row.”
Pidgeon described her niece, pictured, as an outgoing one that makes these round her giggle and dabbles in fireplace spinning, DJing and charity work. (Larie Pidgeon)
“We want to do as many interviews as we can. The longer that we keep her name out there, the longer that she’s on the news, the better chance that her family has to get her back,” Pidgeon mentioned. “I’ve become a press secretary, a journalist, a photographer. This is how much we love her.”
Pidgeon mentioned the 31-year-old “does everything” and dabbles in fireplace spinning, DJing and charity work.
“She’s a pivotal person in her community, she’s a wonderful person, a great daughter, she makes everyone laugh,” Pidgeon mentioned. “If I’m having a problem at 2 a.m., I can call Hannah because she’ll pick up.”
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, was heading to New York Metropolis to go to household. (Hannah Kobayashi through Instagram)
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Family and friends have been making minute-long movies sharing recollections of Kobayashi to distribute underneath the hashtag “#FindHannah.” To this point, Pidgeon mentioned, about 30 individuals have despatched movies, a testomony to “how incredible she is.”
“I’m just grateful for all the other best wishes and support from the community and Hawaii, New York, California, every everywhere,” Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, advised Fox Information Digital. “You know, it’s just amazing. We miss you, Hannah. We love you. There’s just a word anywhere. I’ll start.”
Anybody with info is requested to name the household at 845-750-3006.
