Los Angeles police believe that missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi "intentionally" missed her flight to New York City, a claim her family strongly disputes, insisting it's out of character for her. Kobayashi, 30, vanished in downtown Los Angeles on November 8 after missing a connecting flight from Maui, her home, to New York.
Before her disappearance, she sent a text to a friend describing a "spiritual awakening." Days later, on November 11, she was reportedly seen with an unidentified man. Kobayashi's family has repeatedly claimed that she appeared to be behaving differently than usual, with her sister, Sydni, suggesting that Hannah's text messages " 'feel like someone was controlling her."
Family Refutes Police's Claim
However, during a Board of Police Commissioners meeting on November 26, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said that "investigation determined" that Hannah's missed connection "was intentional."
"On November 15, our missing persons unit assumed investigative responsibility," he said.
"Detectives have been diligently reviewing video surveillance and employing various investigative techniques to locate Hannah, while her family has continued their personal search efforts."
McDonnell added that the LAPD remains "committed to locating Hannah and supporting the family as they navigate their way through this tragedy," especially after the tragic suicide of Hannah's father, Ryan.
However, Kobayashi's family contends that the police chief never informed them of any evidence suggesting she "intentionally" missed her flight. Sydni implied that no such evidence exists.
In a statement on social media, Sydni revealed that the family only became aware of the alleged findings from the Los Angeles Police Commission meeting after several citizens sent them videos of the meeting, according to PEOPLE.
"These alleged findings have yet to be relayed to my mother and I directly from the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department or any detective involved in Hannah's case."
Sydni and her mother, Brandi Yee, also claimed that some of the information McDonnell provided about the case during the meeting was incorrect.
"Specific facts contained in that report were inaccurate, such as Hannah's age. Hannah is 30 years old, not 23. Also, Hannah was reported missing to law enforcement on November 11th, not November 13th, as stated by the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.
"The lack of communication surrounding some important details has left us feeling excluded from potentially crucial developments," Sydni argued.
"However, we do remain hopeful and optimistic that the Los Angeles Police Department is doing everything in their power to assist us in locating Hannah."
Family Refutes Claims Amid Distress
Sydni reiterated her belief that Hannah is in danger, pointing out that even if her sister chose to disappear, she would have reached out after their father, who spent almost two weeks searching for her, took his own life.
Kobayashi was caught on surveillance footage at LAX just before 10 p.m. on November 8, disembarking from a plane.
The aspiring photographer was seen wearing a black hoodie and colorful sweatpants, walking through the airport with headphones on.
Her ex-boyfriend, who had booked flights for both of them before their breakup, was also on that same flight. Kobayashi was scheduled to catch a connecting flight at 11 p.m., but she never boarded, while her ex continued on to New York.
He is now helping the police with their investigation.
The next day, Kobayashi was spotted at The Grove shopping mall between noon and 3 p.m., spending a significant amount of time at Taschen Books, where she stopped to charge her phone.
At 2:43 p.m., she sent a photo to her aunt before returning to the airport, where she is believed to have stayed overnight.
In a YouTube video taken outside an event in Los Angeles on November 10, Hannah was seen wearing the same outfit. She had attended a Nike event featuring LeBron James in LA around 3:30 p.m., where she was dressed in the same dark hoodie and headphones she had on at the airport. Kobayashi also posted a photo from the event on her Instagram, captioning it with an eye emoji.
Later that day, around 5 p.m., she was seen speaking with a ticketing agent at LAX. That same day, her family filed a missing-persons report due to what they described as unusual communication from Kobayashi.
The family explained that Kobayashi had sent some cryptic text messages and Venmo payments to unfamiliar people before and after her disappearance.
One payment, sent at 6:25 p.m. on November 9, was made to someone named Veronica Almendarez for an undisclosed amount, with the description only showing a bow and arrow emoji.
Another payment was sent less than an hour later to a person named Jonathan Taylor, also for an unknown amount, with the description simply stating: "Reading."
