Hannah Kobayashi’s sister stated on Tuesday that the police’s determination that she is a “voluntary missing person” is unsatisfactory.
On “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 Department 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, but questioned how the LAPD could reach that determination 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 final destination.
In reference to family members, the attorney stated, “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 claimed she doesn’t understand how Hannah could be disconnected for almost a month after leaving Hawaii.
“She always kept close to me more than anyone in our lives,” she stated.
A request for comment from the LAPD on Tuesday night was not immediately answered.
According to Azari, the family will send out supporters to search Mexico for Hannah. Investigators will probably be notified, according to authorities, if Hannah enters the country again through a port or legitimate U.S.-Mexico crossing.
Hannah’s 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.
Hannah’s family released a less suspicious statement on Tuesday, thanking the police and stating that the hunt will go on, if only to make sure she’s safe.
According to the statement, “The search is far from over, and we are committed to doing everything possible to bring her home safely.”
During 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 shared on Facebook and other testimonies from family members, Hannah missed her connecting connection and spent the next two days sightseeing in Los Angeles. She sent texts that one family member called “alarming” and was spotted with an unidentified male on security footage.
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 the LAPD took over the case two days after her 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 Monday night that Hannah was not the victim of human trafficking or foul play and that she was freely removed from her daily life.
He added that the day before she crossed into Mexico, she picked up her bags at Los Angeles International Airport after it had been redirected from New York City.
At the news conference, Lieutenant Douglas Oldfield, who works in the police department’s Missing Persons Unit, stated that investigators who looked through Kobayashi’s social media came to the conclusion—albeit not with absolute certainty—that she “wanted to disconnect.”
According to them, family members, including Ryan, Kobayashi’s father, convened in Los Angeles beginning in mid-November to oversee volunteer search activities.
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.
In a statement released on Sunday, Kobayshi’s family and supporters said that their Facebook page, “Help Us Find Hannah,” was being used as a platform for threats and attacks on family members, so they halted it.
According to other relatives, their search has not been halted by the news that Kobayashi may be withdrawing from her daily life.
In a statement released Tuesday, the family stated, “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.”
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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