Hannah Kobayashi’s sister stated on Tuesday that the police’s determination that she is a “voluntary missing person” is unsatisfactory.
On NBC News NOW’s “Top Story With Tom Llamas,” Sydni Kobayashi, accompanied by family attorney Sara Azari, stated that family members ought to have seen the footage that Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell claimed showed Hannah entering Mexico by herself on November 12 at a pedestrian port of entry in San Diego.
According to McDonnell, the agency has categorized the case as one of voluntary detachment with no suspicion of foul play and there isn’t much more it can do.
“We’re more frustrated and just as confused than anything right now,” Sydni Kobayashi stated.
Azari concurred, asking how authorities could reach that decision without consulting Hannah’s family. Hannah vanished on November 8 after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport from Honolulu and missing a trip to New York City, her ultimate destination.
Azari said of family members, “They just came to this conclusion without showing them any footage.” “It takes a lot more digging and investigation to be able to say it’s voluntary.”
Sydni Kobayashi expressed her concern that Hannah, a Maui native, might be a victim of human trafficking, however McDonnell stated on Monday that there is no reason to assume this. She expressed her confusion at Hannah’s continued lack of communication almost a month after her departure from Hawaii.
“She always kept close to me more than anyone in our lives,” she stated.
A request for comment Tuesday evening was not immediately answered by Los Angeles police.
According to Azari, the family would send out volunteers to search Mexico for Hannah. If Hannah returns to the United States through an official port or border between the United States and Mexico, authorities said detectives will probably be notified.
Her sister encouraged her to get in touch in the interim.
“I can’t stress enough how loved you are, how supported you are,” she continued. “We are quite concerned about you. You always have a home to return to, regardless of the circumstances.
At a press conference on Monday, McDonnell stated that he believed Hannah needed to speak with her family and encouraged her to do so.
“She has a right to her privacy, and we respect her choices, but we also understand the concern her loved ones feel for her,” he stated. “A simple message could reassure those who care about her.”
According to a family chronology on Facebook and other comments from family members, Hannah missed her connecting flight and spent the next few days sightseeing in Los Angeles, sending texts that one family member called “alarming” and appearing on security footage with an unidentified male.
Hannah’s last communication to us was concerning; she claimed she was afraid that someone might be attempting to take her identity and money, according to Aunt Larie Pidgeon’s Facebook post from last month.
At the press conference on Monday, McDonnell stated that police took over the case two days after Hannah’s family reported her missing on November 13.
Hannah was spotted alone at a Greyhound bus station at Union Station, the rail depot in downtown Los Angeles, on the morning of November 12, according to the police.
Police said U.S. Customs and Border Protection footage captured Kobayashi voluntarily entering Mexico at one of the crowded land ports in San Diego at 12:13 p.m. that day. Since then, no one has seen her.
McDonnell declared on Monday night that Hannah was taken out of her daily life freely and that there was no evidence of human trafficking or foul conduct.
He added that the day before she entered Mexico, she picked up her bags at Los Angeles International Airport after it had been redirected from New York City.
According to Lt. Douglas Oldfield of the police department’s Missing Persons Unit, investigators who looked through Kobayashi’s social media accounts came to the conclusion—albeit not with absolute certainty—that she “wanted to disconnect.”
Beginning in mid-November, family members, including Ryan, Kobayashi’s father, convened in Los Angeles to oversee volunteer search operations, they said.
Her father committed suicide close to Los Angeles International Airport on November 24.
McDonnell added, “I’m very sorry to the family for all that they’ve been through,” on Monday night.
“Help Us Find Hannah,” the Facebook page dedicated to the Kobayashi hunt, was halted by family members and supporters on Sunday, claiming that it was being used as a platform for threats and attacks against family members.
Kobayashi’s family said in a fresh statement released on Wednesday that they are “committed to doing everything possible to bring her home” and that finding out she is in Mexico has further “heightened” their concerns for her.
Despite expressing appreciation for the promptness of police enforcement, the family pointed out that there were communication problems with the LAPD.
“It has been 22 agonizing days since we last heard from her, and not knowing where she is or if she s okay is heartbreaking,” the family stated. “Like everyone else, we are getting updates from the media because LAPD hasn’t been completely honest with us about important events.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling 988 if you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis. For further resources, visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources, text HOME to 741741, or contact the network (formerly the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) at 800-273-8255.
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