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

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CNN
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The father of a Hawaii woman who went missing two weeks ago was found dead Sunday, Los Angeles police 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 failed to board a connecting flight to New York City during a stopover 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 release 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 searching tirelessly in 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. declaration released through a nonprofit group helping search for Hannah Kobayashi.

The Coroner of Los Angeles County The office lists Kobayashi’s death as an open case, with the cause of death undisclosed. The document 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 the public’s help in finding his daughter.

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

In their statement, the Kobayashi family urged the public to “remain focused on the search.”

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

Kobayashi was visiting 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 has obtained a photo that appears to show Kobayashi getting off her plane at the Los Angeles airport. The next day, she was seen at a Taschen bookstore in The Grove, a Los Angeles mall, her sister said.

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

ONE video was posted on YouTube on November 10, showing Kobayashi at the LeBron XXII Trial Experience, a cases held at the Nike store in the same mall. A photo of the event was also posted on her Instagram accountsaid her sister.

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

On Nov. 11 — the last day anyone heard from the missing woman — her mother texted her asking if she was making it to New York. Kobayashi said no, her sister said. She also sent messages to a friend who said she didn’t feel safe and that someone was trying to steal her identity and money, according to screenshots her sister sent to CNN.

“Deep Hackers deleted my identity, stole all my money and have been on my mind since Friday,” said one message to a friend.

Another message said: “I was tricked into pretty much giving away all my money,” followed by one who said: “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. The said she has freckles on her face and a tattoo on her forearm.

On Nov. 17, Sydni Kobayashi said in a statement on Facebook that the family had obtained surveillance footage showing her sister walking around the downtown subway station near the Crypto.com Arena, though it was unclear exactly when the footage was taken.

In the footage, Kobayashi is not alone and “does not appear to be in good health,” 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.