Note from the editor: This article discusses sensitive topics related to mental health and suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. You can call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org for support.

Weeks after a woman from Hawaii disappeared in Los Angeles, her family is determined to keep searching for her amidst unsettling communication that has raised questions.

Hannah Kobayashi, aged 30, was last in contact on November 11, having failed to catch her connecting flight from Maui to New York City at Los Angeles International Airport on November 8, as reported by her family.

On November 24, tragically, her father, who was looking for her, was found dead near the Los Angeles airport, with authorities indicating he had died by suicide.

Surveillance footage has shown her at both a shopping mall and a train station in Los Angeles, while strange messages and unexpected online transactions have added to the confusion surrounding her case.

On Tuesday, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell declared that the investigation concluded that Kobayashi had intentionally missed her flight.

“Our thoughts are with the Kobayashi family during this incredibly difficult time,” McDonnell stated in a recent Board of Police Commissioners meeting. “We are fully dedicated to finding Hannah and assisting her family during this tragic ordeal.”

The LAPD did not respond to YSL News’s request for more information regarding the investigation on Friday. YSL News also contacted an organization that is supporting the family.

Here’s what we do know:

Who is Hannah Kobayashi?

Kobayashi stands at 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs approximately 140 pounds, according to the LAPD. She has brown hair, hazel eyes, and freckles, typically wears glasses, and has a distinct tattoo of a heart with a knife on her right forearm.

Her friends describe her as creative and entrepreneurial, with aspirations to become a photographer, as reported by CNN. She was expected to visit an aunt in New York and was also scheduled to take photos at a concert in Brooklyn in mid-November, according to her family.

Kobayashi was traveling on the same flight to New York as her ex-boyfriend. They held onto the tickets since they could not get a refund, and their plans were to part ways after arriving in New York, her sister informed the Los Angeles Times.

CNN mentioned that her ex-boyfriend successfully made his connecting flight, unlike Kobayashi.

What occurred after Kobayashi missed her flight?

According to the LA Times, a day after her flight was missed, Kobayashi was seen at a bookstore in The Grove, a shopping mall in Los Angeles’ Fairfax District. Her aunt relayed to the newspaper that she sent a book photo to a relative. With that clue, her family later visited the bookstore, confirming her presence there and noting that she had filled out a newsletter form.

Additionally, she sent two Venmo payments to individuals unknown to her family, CNN reported. Police confirmed she remained active on Instagram during this time.

On November 10, she appeared in a promotional video for a LeBron James Nike event at The Grove. She also shared a photo on her Instagram from this event, marking her last public post, in which she tagged the LA Times.

Worrying text messages before her disappearance

After Kobayashi missed her flight, her family began receiving alarming messages, sources including family and police reported. Her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, conveyed to YSL News that the messages seemed unusual for Kobayashi, featuring strange phrases and missing emojis.

In these messages, Kobayashi expressed feelings of unsafety, as CNN reported, stating someone was trying to steal her funds and identity. In another message, she mentioned being “tricked” into giving away all her money, followed by “For someone I thought I loved.”

CBS reported that one of her texts indicated she had just completed a “very intense spiritual awakening” and mentioned she was trying to return to the airport, suggesting she might need help getting there.

The last known interaction her family had with her was on November 11. Screenshots of her messages shown to YSL News revealed she claimed to be heading to the airport.

“I have a safe passage,” and “Will keep you updated,” she wrote, later adding “Matrix style.”

She followed with reassurances like “I’m safe”, “Love you”, “Don’t worry”, “For the good of all”, “I will keep you informed”, “Promise” and “Call you soon.”

On November 11, surveillance footage indicated Kobayashi was present at LAX but she was never seen boarding any flight. After around 4:30 PM, she was reported to have spoken with an American Airlines representative, as Pidgeon relayed.

Her phone was last active at LAX during that timeframe.

When and where was Kobayashi last seen?

That same evening, CCTV recordings showed Kobayashi in downtown Los Angeles. She was spotted at the Pico Metro light-rail station, close to Crypto.com Arena, accompanied by an unidentified individual.

Her family reported her missing the following day, November 12. The LAPD classified her as a missing person three days later, on November 15.

The search for Kobayashi has attracted significant attention both online and in the city, with volunteers banding together to scour the streets in hopes of finding her.

Just days after her disappearance, her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was discovered deceased in a parking lot close to LAX on November 24. Ryan had been tirelessly searching for his daughter in the Los Angeles area for nearly two weeks.

The family has confirmed that he died by suicide. Police Chief McDonnell stated that preliminary reports suggest it was indeed a suicide.

Pidgeon shared with YSL News that the weeks leading up to this tragedy were already challenging before they learned about her brother-in-law’s unexpected death.

“He truly died of a broken heart,” Pidgeon remarked. “Living on the streets, faced with the uncertainty of where his daughter might be, and enduring sleepless nights filled with speculation and rumors—this all took an immense toll on him.”

If you have any information about Kobayashi’s location, please contact the Los Angeles police at 1-877-527-3247 or reach out to The Rad Movement at 619-904-0840.