Hannah Kobayashi’s household react to Mexico sighting bombshell as thriller round ‘disappearance’ deepens

Hannah Kobayashi’s family has surprisingly called for the search for the missing Hawaii woman to continue after she was seen crossing the US-Mexico border, and warned against ‘speculative conclusions.’

Kobayashi, 30, was reported missing after she flew from her home state to Los Angeles on November 8 for a connecting flight to New York City that she never boarded.

Security footage later captured her leaving the airport, carrying only a backpack. She was then spotted several times throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area in the days that followed – before she stopped responding to messages on November 11.

The aspiring photographer then went to Union Station that day and used her passport to buy a ticket to the border.

The LAPD announced on Monday that Kobayashi was seen alive on footage from the border near Tijuana on November 12 and 13 – about 11 days before her father took his own life. 

Her relatives have now addressed the update, saying the search for her is ‘far from over, and they are committed to doing everything possible to bring her home safely’.

‘We are deeply grateful for the urgency and dedication law enforcement has shown in investigating Hannah’s disappearance,’ they said in a statement shared online by NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin.

‘Our family remains hopeful that Hannah is safe and urges everyone to continue the search.

‘We want answers and a resolution that ensures Hannah’s safety and urge law enforcement and the public to stay focused on finding her and to avoid speculative conclusions. 

‘Spreading awareness and sharing verified information about her case is crucial, and we deeply appreciate your continued support in these efforts.’ 

They have repeatedly shared their concerns that Hannah may be in danger, with her sister, Sydni saying that even if she decided to go off-grid, she would have reached out after her father took his own life during the search efforts.

‘With my father’s passing, with it being everywhere, in her right state of mind, she would have never thought to not reach out to anybody,’ she told Hawaii News Now.

Sydni also shared similar sentiments with NewsNation.

‘Intuitively knowing her and being so close to her my entire life, I just know this is absolutely not like her,’ the worried sister said.

She went on to say she is convinced Hannah would not have ran away and was ‘an amazing and beautiful person.’

The family has also claimed that they received a string of strange text messages from Kobayashi that seemed to suggest she was in trouble and someone had stolen her money.

In the messages, she claimed she had recently undergone a ‘spiritual awakening,’ after she was due to meet family in New York.

In another, she claimed: ‘Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.’

A third text message to a friend said she was ‘tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I love.’

Kobayashi had also sent some unusual Venmo payments following her disappearance.

One payment was sent at 6:25pm on November 9 to a person named Veronica Almendarez for an unknown amount, with the description of the payment only showing a drawn bow and arrow emoji. 

The second was made less than an hour later to someone called Jonathan Taylor, also for an undisclosed amount, with the description only saying: ‘Reading.’ 

Family members said the did not recognize either name, and have noted hat Kobayashi’s  phone has been off since November 11, with her last pinned location being the Los Angeles International Airport.

But the LAPD has since determined that Kobayashi ‘intentionally’ missed her connection to the Big Apple on November 8, and are now classifying her disappearance as ‘voluntary.’

Police noted there is no evidence of human trafficking of foul play, and claimed that she seemed to have wanted a less complicated life.

‘The investigators noted that before departing Maui, Kobayashi expressed a desire to step away from modern connectivity,’ the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. 

The authorities added they will not further their investigation of Kobayashi but will be notified if she returns to America and they encourage her to contact police or the American Embassy in Mexico to ‘confirm her well-being’.

Ahead of the news, Kobayashi’s family shut down the Facebook page devoted to her search efforts – claiming they were receiving death threats.

The Help Us Find Hannah page was removed from the social media site on Sunday, and Kobayashi’s sister, Sydni, and her mother, Brandi Yee, said they have been reporting the threats to the FBI.

There are now also questions around the GoFundMe the family set up now that Kobayashi has been determined to not be a victim of foul play.

Many donors to the fundraiser, which raked in more than $47,000, are demanding refunds.

The fundraiser was set up on November 15 with a $50,000 goal. As of Tuesday, it was at 94 percent of the way there.

According to the GoFundMe, the money was to be used for food and hydration for search teams, transportation, communication devices and technology, a media campaign, ‘temporary accommodations for essential personnel’ and on-site support for the family.

On November 26, the family updated the fundraiser to add funeral costs for Kobayashi’s father to its scope.

A spokesman for GoFundMe confirmed that the fundraiser remains within its terms of service at this time.