A STRANGER who was seen talking to Hannah Kobayashi for hours before she vanished was a ‘listening ear’ to her, cops have revealed.
The 30-year-old from Hawaii was feared missing after she skipped her connecting flight at Los Angeles International Airport on November 8 that would take her to New York City for a solo trip.
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But on December 2 it was revealed that the missing woman crossed the US-Mexico border on foot on November 12 after cops said she “knowingly departed” LAX and is “voluntarily missing.”
The aspiring photographer used her passport and cash to purchase a bus ticket to the border and was seen on CCTV in Tijuana, investigators said.
But, before these events took place, Kobayashi spent the night in LA with a stranger she met near the airport.
Investigators told People that the pair appeared to quickly form a bond, spending about nine hours together, walking through the City and going to Union Station where they fell asleep.
MEETING WITH STRANGER
Lieutenant Doug Oldfield revealed to the news outlet that crucial information came from investigating this interaction with the stranger who could have threatened her life.
“For a while, he was the last person to have seen her when we didn’t know where she was,” Oldfield said.
“So we did have to spend a few days on this to ensure that nothing bad happened.”
But, Detective Omar Franco revealed that their investigation into the man showed that he played a supportive role in lending an ear to the Maui woman and had no bad intentions.
“She just spoke and talked about her life in Maui, her personal life, her love life and so forth. And he just listened to her,” Franco told People.
The man who has not been named told cops that Kobayashi was a “free spirit” and that the pair had a conversation after meeting at the LAX train stop around 9 pm on November 11.
He told cops that she seemed normal, coherent, and did not seem scared.
She reportedly told him that she wanted to see the redwoods and also planned to be in New York where she was originally headed before missing her connection.
Cops believe she tried to re-book a flight but it cost too much and further revealed that for some reason Kobayashi left her phone at the airport.
The investigators further detailed that the pair seemed to strike up a conversation after Kobayashi wanted to know how to get to Union Station which the man helped her with.
The disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi
HANNAH Kobayashi sparked a massive search after missing a flight to New York during a layover in Los Angeles. Here is a timeline of events in the case.
Friday, November 8: Hannah leaves her home in Maui and arrives in Los Angeles for a connecting flight to New York City. She has 42 minutes to make the flight at 11 pm.
Saturday, November 9: Hannah is meant to land at JFK airport in New York City at 7 am but never arrives. She is seen at a bookshop at The Grove, an hour from the Los Angeles airport.
Sunday, November 10: Hannah sends a message saying she’s scared and worried about someone trying to steal her money and identity, alongside several other cryptic texts. She’s later seen at a Nike event at The Grove in Los Angeles.
Monday, November 11: Hannah’s phone data puts her back at LAX. She posts a picture on her Instagram account from the Nike event. Her phone is then turned off.
Tuesday, November 12: Unbeknownst to her family, Hannah catches a bus from Union Station down to San Ysidro, San Diego, and crosses the border into Tijuana, Mexico.
Wednesday, November 13: Family files missing person’s report and flies to LA to search for her. They are informed she was last seen at Pico Station in Downtown Los Angeles with an unidentified male.
Sunday, November 24: After scouring LA’s Skid Row and other areas for nearly a week, Hannah’s dad Ryan takes his own life and is found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot.
Monday, December 2: Cops announce Hannah was spotted in surveillance footage crossing into Mexico from the US on November 12 and say she wanted to step away from modern connectivity. The investigation is paused.
Tuesday, December 3: Hannah’s family vows to keep looking for her in a statement released by their attorney.
When the pair reached Union Station they had dinner together and fell asleep in a waiting area before she got her luggage and “walk[ed] off on her own,” Franco revealed.
“These things we were able to corroborate,” Oldfield noted.
He added that investigators had to look at the situation with an open mind but that their fears were quashed after piecing together video and interview evidence.
‘FREE SPIRIT’
Cops found footage showing the pair smiling as they walked the streets of LA together.
“We’re looking – hey, does this person seem like she’s in distress, what does she look like? We see a lot of smiling,” Oldfield said.
“There’s another video where she passes by two police officers and has a chance maybe to say, ‘Help, help,’ if there’s anything wrong.
“So, from here, we’re able to then get a better idea of who this guy was and we identified him.”
On November 12 at 6:10 am Kobayashi was seen buying a bus ticket to the border alone.
Investigators have since concluded that the stranger did not commit any crime and that Kobayashi is not thought to be a victim of foul play or a “suspect in any criminal activity.”
They noted that before departing Maui, Kobayashi “expressed the desire to step away from modern connectivity.”
But, cops told People that they would like to hear “her side of the story” and confirm her well-being, though the investigation has now ended.
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FAMILY HEARTBREAK
As authorities confirmed the end of their investigation, Kobayashi’s family have continued to insist that her fleeing to Mexico is out of character after sharing concerns that she is in danger.
They doubled down on these fears after she did not reach out following the suicide of her father during his extensive search for the missing woman.
“With my father’s passing, with it being everywhere, in her right state of mind, she would have never thought to not reach out to anybody,” Kobayashi’s sister Sydni told Hawaii News Now.
The family previously said that the search for Kobayashi is “far from over and they are committed to doing everything possible to bring her home safely.”
They have publicly spoken out about a string of bizarre text messages that were sent from Kobayashi’s phone two days after she missed her connecting flight.
Kobayashi was reportedly scared that someone was trying to steal her money and her identity while her friend said she claimed in a text that she was “tricked” into giving away her money to someone she “thought she loved.”
Another message reportedly referenced a “spiritual awakening” and had an apology for acting crazy.
In another tragic twist, The U.S. Sun exclusively reported how two Venmo payments were sent to a man and a woman on November 9.
Her family said they didn’t recognize the names of the people who were wired money.
A wedding picture has also emerged online sparking fears that Kobayashi was part of a green card marriage scam, a theory that has been investigated by cops.
CONTINUED SEARCH
In a statement shared by NewsNation reporter Brian Entin on December 3, the family said:
“We are deeply grateful for the urgency and dedication law enforcement has shown in investigating Hannah’s disappearance.
“Our family remains hopeful that Hannah is safe and urges everyone to continue the search.
“We want answers and a resolution that ensures Hannah’s safety and urge law enforcement and the public to stay focused on finding her and to avoid speculative conclusions.
“Spreading awareness and sharing verified information about her case is crucial, and we deeply appreciate your continued support in these efforts.”
The family is appealing to the US State Department for help raising funds to continue their search for Kobayashi in Mexico.
The fundraiser, which raised $47,612 of its $50,000 goal as of Friday, has fueled online controversy as social media users called for the family to shut it down over claims of Kobayashi’s voluntary disappearance.
Sara Azari, Kobayashi’s family’s attorney, said the family has no plans of taking it down because “search efforts are not over.”
“The mission of that GoFundMe has not changed, only the need for money has gone up,” Azari told The U.S. Sun.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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