The father of a missing Hawaii woman has died by suicide, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
At 4 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to the 6100 block of West Century Boulevard near the Los Angeles International Airport for a death investigation, a police spokesperson said.
The investigation revealed Ryan Kobayashi, 58, the father of Hannah Kobayashi, had died of suicide, police said.
Ryan Kobayashi, who lived in Honolulu, and other members of his family were in Los Angeles searching for Hannah Kobayashi, who had taken a flight from Hawaii, where she lived, to Los Angeles on Nov. 8. She was en route to New York City but had less than an hour to get to her departure terminal and missed a connecting flight, her aunt Larie Pidgeon has said. Her family said Hannah Kobayashi decided to explore the area while she waited for another flight.
On Nov. 10, Hannah Kobayashi was recorded at a Nike event at The Grove shopping center, about 12 miles north of Los Angeles International Airport, but her family said that in the coming days, they received concerning text messages from her phone.
In the last message, on Nov. 11, Hannah Kobayashi mentioned feeling scared, and worried that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity, Pidgeon said.
Family members quoted one of the texts, according to a video report from NBC affiliate KHNL of Honolulu: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved.”
A Nov. 15 Facebook post by the RAD Movement — a San Diego County missing persons nonprofit group — said security video in the area of Pico Boulevard and Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles shows Kobayashi with someone, sparking concern.
“In the footage, it is evident that Hannah does not appear to be in good condition and she is not alone,” the post said. “Due to the ongoing and active nature of this investigation, we are unable to share any further details at this time.”
It’s not clear when the video was recorded.
“There’s reason to believe through video surveillance that Hannah is not OK,” Pidgeon said a week ago, adding that the family did not want to speak about specifics because they did not want to hinder the investigation.
A Los Angeles police spokesperson said Monday that there was no further information available and that the investigation is ongoing.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
