The household of a lacking Hawaii girl, Hannah Kobayashi, has strongly disputed the assertion made by LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell that Kobayashi “deliberately” missed her connecting flight at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport.
Kobayashi went lacking Nov. 8 after catching a flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles, with a connecting flight that may finally take her to New York, the place she deliberate to go to family members. Her household grew to become frightened after she landed at LAX and despatched them cryptic textual content messages, suggesting that somebody was making an attempt to steal her cash and id. Nobody has heard from her since.
McDonnell briefed the L.A. Police Fee in regards to the case throughout a Nov. 26 assembly.
“On Friday, November eighth, 23-year-old Hannah Kobayashi missed her connecting flight from LAX to New York, which the investigation decided was intentional,” McDonnell mentioned.
Kobayashi’s sister, Sydni, responded to the assertion in a social media put up, disputing the event within the case and stating that McDonnell incorrectly gave Kobayashi’s age, which is definitely 30 years outdated. Kobayashi’s household additionally mentioned McDonnell gave an incorrect timeline of Kobayashi’s disappearance.
“Based mostly on info, surveillance footage reviewed and knowledge shared with us, these are the information identified to my mom and I: It doesn’t seem that Hannah deliberately missed her flight,” Sydni Kobayashi wrote.
“The shortage of communication surrounding some vital particulars has left us feeling excluded from doubtlessly essential developments,” Sydni Kobayashi’s assertion mentioned. “Nevertheless, we do stay hopeful and optimistic that the Los Angeles Police Division is doing every thing of their energy to help us in finding Hannah.”
In accordance with Kobayashi’s household, she landed at LAX on Nov. 8 and missed her connecting flight to New York Metropolis due to a brief layover. Kobayashi stayed in a single day in Los Angeles and was seen the subsequent day on the Taschen bookstore on the Grove, an open-air shopping center within the Fairfax District.
On Nov. 10, Kobayashi was captured on video exterior of a Nike occasion close to the Grove and was believed to have returned to LAX, in response to her household’s assertion.
On Nov. 11, Kobayashi was seen speaking to a ticketing agent at LAX; she then boarded the LAX Metro C line on the Aviation/Century station round 9 p.m., her household wrote. She transferred on the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station and was seen in video footage leaving the Pico station with an unknown individual.
On Nov. 12, Kobayashi was captured once more on video footage on the Greyhound bus terminal at Union Station in downtown L.A. round 6:30 a.m., in response to her household.
LAPD spokesperson Jeff Lee confirmed that the company remains to be investigating Kobayashi’s disappearance as an lively lacking individuals case. He mentioned there have been no updates to share Monday morning.
Anybody with extra info has been requested to contact the LAPD at (877) 527-3247.
After Kobayashi’s disappearance, her father, Ryan, flew to Los Angeles to assist search for his daughter. The elder Kobayashi was discovered useless final week close to LAX in what police say was an obvious suicide.
The physique of Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was present in a car parking zone within the 6100 block of Century Boulevard. In accordance with the Los Angeles County health worker, the elder Kobayashi died from blunt drive traumatic accidents.
“Our hearts exit to the Kobayashi household throughout this unimaginable time of grief,” McDonnell mentioned through the Police Fee assembly. “We stay totally dedicated to finding Hannah and supporting the household as they navigate their approach via this tragedy.”