Hannah Kobayashi, a 30-year-old woman from Hawaii who went missing after landing in Los Angeles three weeks ago, has been spotted in Mexico with her luggage.
Her disappearance last month sparked an international search, along with speculation and conspiracy theories about her fate.
Authorities confirmed that surveillance footage captured Kobayashi crossing the U.S.-Mexico border near Tijuana between November 12 and 13, just a day after her family reported her missing. In the footage, she appeared unharmed and was seen walking alone through a tunnel at the San Ysidro crossing around noon on November 12.
Los Angeles Police Department officials have classified Kobayashi as a “voluntarily missing person.” Police Chief Jim McDonnell stated there is no evidence that she was trafficked or a victim of a crime.
He emphasised that the department has done all it can to locate her within the United States and noted that she has the right to privacy.
However, he urged her to contact her family or authorities to confirm her safety, adding, “A simple message could reassure those who care about you.”
The timeline of Kobayashi’s disappearance reveals a series of puzzling events. On November 8, she missed her connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York. The next day, she told her family she was sightseeing in Los Angeles. She was last seen at a Nike store event at The Grove on November 10. The following day, her family received a cryptic and alarming text from her phone, prompting them to report her missing. By November 12, she was caught on security footage crossing into Mexico.
The case gained international attention after her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead near Los Angeles International Airport on November 24. He had travelled from Hawaii to California to search for his daughter but took his own life after 13 days of unsuccessful efforts.
Police also revealed that Kobayashi had requested her checked luggage, originally intended for New York, be sent back to Los Angeles, suggesting her missed flight was intentional. Her sister, Sydni Kobayashi, has disputed this claim, raising further questions about her actions.
Authorities questioned a man seen with her on the metro, but he cooperated with the investigation and confirmed he met her at the airport.
Despite the latest developments, the missing persons case remains open until Kobayashi’s safety is officially verified.
Law enforcement has stated they will be alerted if she reenters the United States and continue to encourage her to contact her family to provide closure.
