(Rightallegiance.com) – The family of 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi is frantically searching for her after she went missing in Los Angeles earlier this month. The Hawaii resident had traveled to Los Angeles on November 8, en route to New York City, but her journey took a worrying turn when she missed a connecting flight and subsequently sent distressing text messages, only to fall off the radar.
Kobayashi, who resides in Maui, was on a layover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) when she missed her connecting flight to New York City. Her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, stated in an interview that the window between her flights was too short, about 30 to 45 minutes, making it impossible for Kobayashi to make it to the departure terminal on time. As a result, Kobayashi stayed behind in Los Angeles, waiting for a last-minute flight to New York.
During her extended stay in the city, Kobayashi made time for sightseeing. Family members confirmed that she visited The Grove, a popular shopping center in the Beverly Grove neighborhood, on November 10 to attend a Nike marketing event. A verified Instagram post shows a photo she took at the event, which appears to feature a Nike filming notice.
However, everything took a darker turn the next day, when Kobayashi sent a series of troubling text messages to her family. “Hannah’s last message to us was alarming — she mentioned feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity,” Pidgeon shared on Facebook. “She hasn’t been heard from since, and we are gravely concerned for her safety.”
Pidgeon, who confirmed her identity through her Facebook account, added that the messages, sent on November 11, raised serious red flags. “She said that someone was stealing her identity, that she felt scared,” Pidgeon elaborated. “The texts didn’t sound like her — it was like she was in a state of distress.”
The disappearance of Kobayashi has sent shockwaves through her family and friends, who have banded together in Los Angeles to aid in the search. According to Pidgeon, Kobayashi had been planning the trip for months, eager to visit the Museum of Modern Art in New York and immerse herself in the city’s art scene as she sought to establish a career in photography. “She was really trying to school herself on how to become ‘it’ in New York,” Pidgeon recalled, highlighting the young woman’s enthusiasm for her future.
Relatives reported her missing to the Los Angeles International Airport Police Department and the FBI, but the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is now handling the investigation. LAPD spokesperson Officer Tony Im confirmed that Kobayashi was reported missing on November 15.
According to Pidgeon, one of the final messages from Kobayashi read, “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved.” The family believes the messages allude to identity theft and manipulation, adding to the sense of urgency surrounding her disappearance. “She said she felt scared, like someone was trying to steal her identity,” Pidgeon reiterated.
The last known location of Kobayashi’s phone was near LAX around 4 p.m. on November 11, after which communication ceased entirely. Her aunt, Geordan Montalvo, had been trying to reach her but was unable to connect once the phone went silent.
In a concerning development, a nonprofit group, the RAD Movement, posted an update on a Facebook group called “Help Us Find Hannah.” The group stated that security footage from the area of Pico Boulevard and Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles shows Kobayashi walking with an unidentified person. While the family has not disclosed further details, they indicated that the video heightened their concerns about her well-being.
Family members are focusing their own search efforts on the area near Pico Boulevard and Hill Street, close to the Los Angeles Convention Center, LA Live, and Crypto Arena. The family’s worries deepened after a past incident involving missing Canadian tourist Elsa Lam, whose mysterious disappearance in 2013 also garnered widespread media attention.
Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, expressed his anguish in a recent interview, saying, “Everything is just a blur it seems, because I haven’t slept well since I’ve heard the news, and I really don’t know … it’s just really concerning.”
In an attempt to counter speculation regarding her mental health, Pidgeon took to social media to clarify that Kobayashi had no history of mental illness. “Hannah has never once suffered from a mental illness. She has no record on that. She is not on medication,” Pidgeon asserted, hoping to reassure the public that the situation is entirely out of character for the young woman.
The Kobayashi family continues to hope for a safe return, urging anyone with information about her whereabouts to come forward. The family’s search efforts are ongoing, and they remain determined to bring her home.