Father of missing woman Hannah Kobayashi found dead in Los Angeles
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The father of a woman from Hawaii, who went missing in Los Angeles two weeks ago, has been discovered deceased.
The Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that Ryan Kobayashi, 58 years old and Hannah Kobayashi’s father, was found dead early Sunday morning around 4 a.m. on November 24, in a location close to Los Angeles International Airport.
Ryan Kobayashi’s death is currently classified as an open case by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, with the cause of death still unknown, and his body was located in a parking lot. The LAPD has not released further details regarding how he died.
His family released a statement via The Rad Movement, confirming that Ryan Kobayashi had taken his own life.
“This tragedy has increased the family’s pain tremendously,” the statement expressed. “The trauma they are experiencing is deep, and they now have to cope with the loss of their family’s cornerstone while planning their next steps.”
Hannah Kobayashi, aged 31, was on her way from Maui to New York when she missed a connection at Los Angeles International Airport on November 8. The last contact from her was on November 11, as reported earlier by YSL News.
Family urges continued focus on search for Hannah Kobayashi
The Kobayashi family is urging the public to stay focused on the search for Hannah.
“Hannah is still actively missing and is believed to be in grave danger. It’s imperative for everyone to remain watchful in their attempts to find her,” the family stated.
They held a vigil for Hannah on Thursday evening at the site where she was last spotted.
Hannah was last in contact on November 11, after being seen at The Grove shopping center the days prior.
She was recorded on surveillance cameras near the Pico Metro station in downtown Los Angeles around 10 p.m. on the same day, as shared by her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, with YSL News. The station is near Crypto.com Arena and services the A and E lines of the Los Angeles Metro.
Pidgeon noted previously that the family became worried after receiving messages from Hannah that seemed unusual. She elaborated that the strange wording and absence of emojis in her texts raised concerns.
The 31-year-old woman is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing around 140 pounds, with brown hair and eyes, and fair skin with freckles.
If you have any information regarding Hannah’s whereabouts, please contact the Los Angeles police at 1-877-527-3247 or The Rad Movement at 619-904-0840.