Hannah Kobayashi’s family are turning on one another amid infighting on what to do after the Los Angeles Police Department declared the Maui woman ‘voluntarily missing.’
The 30-year-old aspiring photographer disappeared from Los Angeles International Airport after missing a connecting flight from her home in Maui to New York on November 8.
A GoFundMe was set up to help find her, but the $47,000 so far raised has become a controversial detail as they argue about how to use it and who should be the face of the family effort to locate her.
Investigators say Hannah ‘knowingly departed’ the airport, before using her passport and cash to buy a bus ticket to the US-Mexico border.
She was even caught on surveillance footage crossing into Tijuana on foot between November 12 and 13, police said Monday as they announced they would not continue their search into Mexico.
Yet Kobayashi’s family continues to insist her escape into Mexico is uncharacteristic of her and are fighting to keep her story in the news.
Among their issues is varying relatives having differing opinions on who should speak for the family. Hannah’s sister, Sydni, hit out at her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, for her comments to the press.
‘It’s really unfortunate when you have to question family,’ she told NewsNation. ‘The fact that she has gone rogue and wants to disconnect from [our effort], that’s on her.’
Hannah Kobayashi’s sister, Sydni (right), has hit out at her aunt for comments she made to the press
Kobayashi, 30, had disappeared from Los Angeles International Airport after missing a connecting flight from her home in Maui to New York on November 8. Investigators now say she ‘knowingly departed’ the airport , before using her passport and cash to buy a bus ticket to the US-Mexico border
‘I will do whatever I can to protect our family at this point and do whatever I can to still find my sister,’ Sydni continued.
‘And I no longer want to have any connection with the confusion that I feel like she’s caused since this case started with my sister.’
Family lawyer Sara Azari added that it is important to note that Hannah’s family comprises Sydni, ‘her mother and her uncle and that side’ and not Pidgeon.
It is unclear what exactly Pidgeon may have said that the other family members disagree with.
But the worried aunt is now hitting back, telling the New York Post that her niece is ‘throwing her under the bus’ because she wants to be in the limelight.
‘They want to be the face,’ Pidgeon said of her extended family. ‘They want to be the whole thing… It’s really sad.’
She went on to say she agrees that the LAPD’s ruling that Kobayashi ‘voluntarily’ exited the airport and went to Mexico is probably true, but said she also plans to travel to Mexico to continue the search for her niece.
Sydni said her aunt went ‘rogue’ and is creating ‘confusion’ about the case
Hannah’s aunt, Larie Pidgeon, claimed her niece is ‘throwing her under the bus’ because she wants to be in the limelight
Meanwhile, there are also disagreements within the family over what to do with the nearly $50,000 they raised online for her search efforts and Hannah and Sydni’s father’s funeral expenses after he took his own life.
Many online have suggested the family refund everyone who donated to the GoFundMe.
‘Y’all I cannot believe that Hannah Kobayashi cross[ed] the border into Mexico a week and a half ago and officials in the family told no one,’ one person wrote on X.
‘They just let the GoFundMe run and let volunteers spend thousands of hours looking for her.’
‘Return the money to the people who have donated to this fundraiser,’ another added. ‘Police have already stated she is voluntarily missing. The organizers have withheld information from donors.’
‘Agree, resources need to go elsewhere now. I wonder if the GoFundMe is still up…’ one person wrote.
According to the GoFundMe, the money will 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.
A spokesman for fundraising website has confirmed that it remains within its terms of service at this time, and Pidgeon told the Post she did not think the family is trying to scam the public and instead genuinely want to bring Hannah home safely.
The family had been searching for Kobayashi since she missed her flight to New York
They have previously said the search for Hannah is ‘far from over, and they are committed to doing everything possible to bring her home safely’
The family has previously said the search for Hannah 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.’
The family have repeatedly shared their concerns that Hannah may be in danger
The family have repeatedly shared their concerns that Hannah may be in danger, with 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.
They 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.’
One of Hannah’s friends received strange texts from Kobayashi’s phone – indicating that she may be in trouble
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.
Sources have since claimed to Los Angeles Magazine that Kobayashi had apparently been scammed out of the proceeds of a green card visa scheme.
The outlet said that Kobayashi and her then-partner landed in LAX with plans to board their connecting flight, with her legal husband and his partner also onboard.
LA Mag reports that the scam was uncovered by Kobayashi’s mother who found documents listing an attorney for her daughter’s marriage, which she handed over to law enforcement.
In a statement from the family lawyer Sara Azari, she said that the family did not have ‘the facts or necessary documents’ to verify what they called the ‘alleged marriage’.
Their statement said: ‘This is one of many leads we are actively investigating with the help of our attorney and investigative team.
‘We would also like to confirm that we turned over the alleged information to law enforcement immediately upon receipt.’
The FBI is now investigating the claims.