Father of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi found dead in Los Angeles, police say

By: CNN

Posted: Nov 25, 2024 10:40 AM EST
Updated: Nov 25, 2024 12:30 PM EST

CNN via CNN Newsource

By Karina Tsui and Amanda Jackson

(CNN) — The father of a Hawaii woman who went missing two weeks ago was found dead on Sunday, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Ryan Kobayashi had traveled to Los Angeles to help find his daughter, Hannah Kobayashi. The 30-year-old was last heard from on November 11, after she didn’t board a connecting flight to New York City during a layover at Los Angeles International Airport on November 8.

Ryan Kobayashi’s body was found Sunday around 4 a.m. on West Century Boulevard, the LAPD confirmed to CNN – at an address near the airport.

Police did not provide any information on the 58-year-old’s suspected cause of death, but Kobayashi’s family said he died by suicide.

“The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today. After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably,” the family said in a statement released through a nonprofit group helping with the search for Hannah Kobayashi.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office lists Kobayashi’s death as an open case, with the cause of death not stated. The file notes that he died in a parking lot. CNN has reached out for more details.

Since Hannah’s disappearance, the elder Kobayashi had spoken to the media on behalf of his family and sought help from the public to find his daughter.

“Hannah loved to travel. She loved photography, art, music. I wasn’t too close with her … growing up. We hadn’t had contact for a while,” Ryan Kobayashi told CNN in an interview last week. “I’m just trying to make up. I’m trying to get her back. That’s my main focus.”

In their statement, the Kobayashi family urged the public to “maintain focus on the search.”

“Hannah IS still actively missing and is believed to be in imminent danger. It is crucial for everyone to remain vigilant in their efforts to locate Hannah,” the statement read.

Family received suspicious text messages

Kobayashi was supposed to visit her aunt in upstate New York, her sister Sydni Kobayashi previously told CNN. She had the same itinerary as her ex-boyfriend, who, unlike Hannah, boarded a connecting flight to New York City from Los Angeles.

CNN obtained a photo that appears to show Kobayashi getting off her flight at the Los Angeles airport. The next day, she was spotted at a Taschen bookstore at The Grove, a shopping mall in Los Angeles, her sister said.

She then sent a Venmo payment to two people whose names the family did not recognize, according to her sister.

A video was posted on YouTube on November 10, showing Kobayashi at the LeBron XXII Trial Experience, an event held at the Nike store in the same shopping center. A photo of the event was also posted on her Instagram account, her sister said.

In the days after the 30-year-old missed her flight, family and friends received a series of suspicious texts from her phone.

On November 11 – the last day anyone heard from the missing woman – her mother texted her, asking whether she made it to New York. Kobayashi responded no, her sister said. She also sent messages to a friend saying she didn’t feel safe, and that someone was trying to steal her identity and funds, according to screenshots her sister sent to CNN.

“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday,” one message to a friend said.

Another message said, “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds,” followed by one saying, “For someone I thought I loved.”

On November 15, the LAPD missing persons unit made a poster about Kobayashi’s disappearance, saying she was last seen at the airport. It said she has freckles on her face and a tattoo on her forearm.

On November 17, in a statement posted to Facebook, Sydni Kobayashi said the family had obtained surveillance footage showing her sister around the downtown Metro train station near Crypto.com Arena, although it was unclear exactly when that footage was taken.

In the footage, Kobayashi is not alone and “does not appear to be in good condition,” the family wrote on Facebook, saying they are unable to share further details.

CNN’s Veronica Miracle, Caroll Alvarado, Michelle Watson, Maria Aguilar Prieto and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.