Shocking surveillance footage shows Hannah Kobayashi buying a bus ticket to the southern border the day before police say she entered Mexico through the tunnel.
According to the still image, the footage shows Kobayashi wearing a sweatsuit buying a ticket with cash at Union Station in Los Angeles on Nov. 11. Obtained by Fox 11 Los Angeles. She also seems to have her passport and luggage at the ticket counter.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Kobayashi is believed to have arrived at the San Ysidro border crossing on Nov. 12 and entered Mexico. press conference Monday.
The image was released after Los Angeles police declared the 30-year-old woman a “voluntary disappeared person” and said she had deliberately traveled to Mexico to “separate herself from modern society.” It was made public when the disappearance of a famous photographer took a strange turn.
McDonnell said investigators reviewed various surveillance footage and interviewed multiple witnesses and found that Kobayashi landed in the Golden State on Nov. 8 and last entered Mexico. His movements up until November 12, when he was spotted, have been confirmed.
“We've basically done everything we can at this point,” McDonnell said, citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection surveillance footage of Kobayashi crossing the border on Nov. 12.
“She left the country and is now in another country.”
McDonnell said the LAPD's investigation into Mexico would not continue, but called on the public to come forward with reliable information about her whereabouts.
Kobayashi went missing on Nov. 8 after boarding a flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles, where she ultimately took a connecting flight to New York, where she was scheduled to visit relatives.
After arriving at LAX, she sent cryptic text messages to friends shortly before her disappearance, including one in which she said she had experienced a “very intense spiritual awakening,” and another in which she said that “deep hackers… They erased my identity and stole all my funds.''
But McDonnell said investigators found “video evidence that clearly shows Hannah was unharmed at Los Angeles International Airport after arriving from Maui on Nov. 8 of this year.”
“For unknown reasons, she decided not to board her scheduled flight to New York,” he said.
McDonnell said the department's investigation found no evidence that Kobayashi was trafficked or involved in any criminal activity.
“She has a right to privacy,” McDonnell continued. “And we respect her choice. But we also understand the concern her loved ones feel for her. A simple message would be helpful if you care about her and It might give some people peace of mind.”
Lt. Douglas Oldfield, who works in the department's missing persons unit, said Kobayashi's social media activity also suggests she wants to “disconnect” from the modern world.
“When we looked at her past social media, we found that there were consistent desires and posts for people who had a desire to disconnect from their phones,” Oldfield said at a press conference.
Oldfield also said the video showed her in San Ysidro and entering Mexico through the Baja California border crossing tunnel.
Baja is a tourist destination for surfers, solo travelers and psychedelic retreats, but it's also a gateway for organized crime, violence, drugs, kidnapping and murder, especially in Mexico's largest border city, Tijuana, where Kobayashi crossed.
However, Kobayashi's family insisted that the search was “not over yet”, even though it was announced on Tuesday that Kobayashi was considered a voluntary disappearance.
“We deeply appreciate the urgency and dedication of law enforcement in investigating Hannah's disappearance,” the family said in a statement.
“Our family believes Hannah is safe and we urge everyone to continue the search.”
Her family believes the search for their loved one is “not over yet” and they “will do everything in our power to bring her home safely.”
Kobayashi's family is facing a new tragedy with the disappearance of the 30-year-old.
Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was among several family members who traveled to Los Angeles to help with the search.
He was found dead in a parking lot near Los Angeles International Airport on November 24, and authorities ruled the death a suicide.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or Crisis Text us on the Text Line (741741).
