Maui woman, Hannah Kobayashi ‘found safe’ according to family statement

The 30-year-old Maui woman who went missing during a layover in Los Angeles last month, has been found safe, according to a statement released on behalf of her family today.

“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” family said in the statement released by their attorney, Sara Azari.

“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through. We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us,” according to the statement attributed to Brandi Yee and Sydni Kobayashi.

No further information was provided on her whereabouts.

Last week, the Los Angeles Police Department reclassified the case as a voluntary missing person. The determination was made after police reviewed surveillance footage of Kobayashi crossing the United States border into Mexico at the San Ysidro Port of Entry tunnel. The video was taken on Nov. 12 at around 12:13 p.m. and police say Hannah was alone with her luggage and appeared unharmed.

Hannah Kobayashi was on her way from Maui to New York City to visit family, but missed her connecting flight at LAX that was scheduled to depart at 11 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2024. Police say that from Nov. 8-11, video footage and still imagery showed Hannah at various locations around Los Angeles.

The case took a heartbreaking turn two weeks into the investigation when Kobayashi’s father, 58-year-old Ryan, who was in Los Angeles for the search, died in an apparent suicide on Nov. 24, according to NBC Los Angeles. (Editor’s note: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also more information online at 988lifeline.org.)

In recent days, headlines surfaced surrounding Hannah’s alleged involvement in an immigration marriage scam. In a statement posted on her sister’s social media, the family could not confirm the authenticity or accuracy of the information on a possible secret marriage, but acknowledged that it was one of many leads actively being investigated.