A woman from Hawaii is still missing in Los Angeles after her father was found dead

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Volunteers have joined the search in Los Angeles for Hannah Kobayashi, a 30-year-old Hawaii resident who disappeared more than two weeks ago after missing a connecting flight to New York.

Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, who took part in the search, was found dead Sunday in a parking lot near Los Angeles International Airport in an apparent suicide, police and her family said.

Here are the latest findings on this matter:

What happened?

Hannah Kobayashi, an aspiring photographer from Maui, was going to New York on November 8 to look for a new job and to visit relatives. While laying at Los Angeles International Airport, she missed her connecting flight and told her family she would sleep at the airport that night.

According to Larie Pidgeon’s aunt, family members assumed she was on standby for another flight. The next day, Hannah sent them a text saying she was sightseeing in Los Angeles and planned to visit The Grove mall and downtown Los Angeles, Pidgeon said.

On Nov. 11, the family received “weird and mysterious, just disturbing” text messages from her phone that indicated she had been “intercepted” while boarding the subway and feared someone might steal her identity, her aunt said.

“When the family started pushing, it fizzled out,” Pidgeon told The Associated Press on Saturday. According to Pidgeon, after sending the texts on November 11, her phone “just died.”

Pidgeon would not elaborate on Hannah’s text messages or surveillance footage, which police say they are reviewing, citing the ongoing investigation.

What do the authorities say?

The Los Angeles Police Department said it was investigating, but officials did not provide many details.

The family traveled from Hawaii and held a news conference last week, after which “it appears that the LAPD is finally taking this case seriously,” Pidgeon said. According to the aunt, detectives told the family they were tracking Hannah’s movements and asking for additional surveillance footage.

Police officials did not immediately respond Monday to emails and voicemails seeking further details.

What’s going on with the search?

Family members and friends are searching for Hannah in Los Angeles, and local volunteers joined them over the weekend.

Pidgeon said efforts were focused on downtown. Searchers also spread out to the airport and The Grove, a few miles west of downtown.

“It’s completely out of character for her” to not keep in touch with her loved ones, Pidgeon said of Hannah.

What happened to her father?

Among those who flew from Hawaii to help with the search was Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi. He was found dead Sunday in a parking lot near Los Angeles International Airport, according to the county medical examiner.

Police said officers received a report of a body around 4 a.m. and discovered someone was dead.
Kobayashi’s family confirmed Ryan’s death in a statement Sunday, saying they “have experienced a devastating tragedy” and that he died by suicide.

“After 13 days of tireless searching in Los Angeles, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life,” the statement read. “This loss has immeasurably increased the family’s suffering.”

The family asked for privacy as they mourn Ryan’s death and urged the public “to continue to focus on the search for her. Hannah IS still missing and is believed to be in immediate danger. It is very important that everyone remains vigilant as we try to locate Hannah.”

Editor’s note: This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the U.S. National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988. Online chat is also available at 988lifeline.org.