The family of Hannah Kobayashi is searching for a missing photographer after she missed a flight to New York and disappeared after a series of cryptic messages and a brief appearance with an unknown man on surveillance footage near Skid Row. We all gathered in Los Angeles to find out.
The 31-year-old resident of Oahu, Hawaii, had planned a vacation to visit her aunt in New York City and flew from Maui to Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 8, said her aunt, Larry Pidgeon. told FOX News Digital. Pidgeon said she was overjoyed with her first music photography job in the city, had a complicated itinerary and paid thousands of yen for a hotel room.
Kobayashi was scheduled to take a connecting flight to New York at 11 a.m. with a 40-minute layover, and was planning to go to the show with her aunt, but her aunt did not take the flight. Her family doesn't know why.
Friends and family then received a flurry of strange text messages that didn't match the young woman's normal rhythm. She texted a friend that she had been “swindled into giving away almost all of my funds” and that she had been fooled “for someone I thought I loved.”
Hawaii woman's mysterious text messages immediately cause concern after disappearance
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, was last seen on surveillance footage at the Pico subway station on Nov. 11 with an unknown man, but she was on a Nov. 8 flight from Los Angeles to John F. Kennedy. I did not board the plane. (Larry Pidgeon)
“There wasn't a single emoji. She's an artist. … Instead of a question mark, she had a crystal ball. She's just really cute. And there was nothing like that,” Pigeon said. said Thursday. “She said someone was trying to steal her funds. Not cash, not money, not funds. Who uses that word?”
“she [wrote she] She was feeling a spiritual awakening and was worried about the Matrix. It was just a very strange text message. And it was, “Hello, I can't wait to meet you all.” I love you. Everything is great. ”
Pidgeon said Kobayashi spoke with a ticket agent before sending the message and was seen trying to board a direct flight to New York without waiting.
Hannah Kobayashi is seen on surveillance footage from LAX on Nov. 8. Her family said there is also surveillance footage that shows her with an unknown man at the Pico subway station in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 11, but it has not yet been released. The masses. (Missing Persons in America/Facebook)
Pidgeon said Kobayashi's mother reported her missing on Nov. 11, and from that day on, the woman's cell phone stopped communicating with family and friends. Through their own investigation, the family viewed surveillance footage from the day Kobayashi was seen with an unknown man near the Pico subway station in downtown Los Angeles.
“Pico Station is located in a very unsafe area. [and] It was late at night,” Pidgeon said. “It made us even more wary because it's not a place Hannah would go to. There's no reason for her to go to a high-crime area, even if she… If you say, “I'm tired, I need to go get a hotel room,'' there are 18 hotels near the airport…but you'll need two transfer stations to get to this station.''
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Hannah Kobayashi's family traveled to Los Angeles to hand out flyers near where she was last seen. (Larry Pidgeon)
Kobayashi's mother, Brandi Yee, filed a missing person report with the police station, but Pidgeon said detectives “didn't even get a phone call.” [her] To tell her about his last conversation with Hannah. ”
“We cannot release the footage. We would love for the Los Angeles Police Department to release it,” Pidgeon said Thursday. “We've seen it, we know it's out there, and we're like, 'Why isn't it out there?'” It's been 10 days now. I feel that this could be of great help to the investigation. ”
The Los Angeles Police Department's media office could not confirm whether Kobayashi had seen the footage or contacted his family, but that Kobayashi had been reported missing and had distributed fliers on his social media accounts. only revealed.
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Before Kobayashi lost contact completely, she sent cryptic emails to friends and family, writing, “I was tricked into giving away almost everything.'' [her] funds. ” (Larry Pidgeon)
According to her aunt, Kobayashi also charged a cell phone for an employee inside The Grove outdoor mall and filled out an application for a book club at the TASCHEN bookstore on Nov. 11 using her Hawaii address. Witnesses told the family that Kobayashi was “in good spirits” and “had some time to explore Los Angeles,” Pidgeon said.
Pidgeon said of the last people she talked to with her niece: “Everything she witnessed with certain people, she was mentally sound.” “She's happy, she's nice, she doesn't show up.” [to be] If you have consumed alcohol or any substance. …That's why we're out here handing out flyers and flying around, because that's totally different from our character. ”
Kobayashi's family held a rally Thursday at Crypto.com Arena, handing out flyers and searching the area where Kobayashi was last seen.
“We're just running,” Pidgeon said. “You know, we just go up and down Skid Row.”
Mr Pidgeon described his niece (pictured) as an outgoing person who made everyone around her laugh and was active in fire spinning, DJing and charity work. (Larry Pidgeon)
“We want to do as many interviews as possible. The longer we keep her name out there and the longer she's in the news, the more likely the family will get her back,” Pidgeon said. spoke. “I became a press secretary, a journalist, a photographer. That's how much we love her.”
Mr Pidgeon said the 31-year-old had “done it all” and dabbled in fire-spinning, DJing and charity work.
“She's such an important part of the community, a great person, a great daughter, and she makes everyone laugh,” Pidgeon said. “If you have a problem at 2 a.m., call Hannah and she'll come get you.”
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, was heading to New York City to visit her family. (From Hanna Kobayashi Instagram)
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Friends and family members have created one-minute videos sharing their memories of Kobayashi and are distributing them using the hashtag #FindHannah. Pidgeon said about 30 people have sent her videos so far, which she says is proof of “how amazing she is.”
Kobayashi's father, Ryan Kobayashi, told Fox News Digital: “We just appreciate all the well wishes and support from the community, from Hawaii, New York, California, everywhere.” “You know, that's really great. We miss you, Hannah. We love you. Just one word everywhere. I'll start.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the family at 845-750-3006.
