Los Angeles police have determined that missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi ‘intentionally’ missed her flight to New York City – though her family says she would never do that.
The 30-year-old disappeared from the streets of downtown Los Angeles after missing a connecting flight from her native Maui to the Big Apple on November 8.
She had earlier sent a friend a text message saying she had a ‘spiritual awakening’ and was later seen in the company of a mystery man on November 11.
The Kobayashi family has repeatedly said she did not seem to be acting like her normal self – with her sister, Sydni, even suggesting that Hannah’s text messages ‘feel like someone was controlling her.’
But at a Board of Police Commissioners meeting on November 26, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said ‘the investigation determined’ that Hannah’s missed connection ‘was intentional.’
‘On November 15, our missing persons unit assumed investigative responsibility,’ he said.
‘Detectives have been diligently reviewing video surveillance and employing various investigative techniques to locate Hannah, while her family has continued their personal search efforts.’
He went on to say that the LAPD remains ‘committed to locating Hannah and supporting the family as they navigate their way through this tragedy,’ especially following the death of Hannah’s father, Ryan.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell announced at a Board of Police Commissioners meeting on November 26 that missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi (pictured) ‘intentionally’ missed her connection to New York City on November 8
Yet Kobayashi’s family said the police chief had never actually told them about the evidence that she ‘intentionally’ missed her flight, with Sydni suggesting there was no evidence.
She claimed in a statement on social media that the family was ‘unaware of the alleged findings presented at the Los Angeles Police Commission meeting until multiple videos of the meeting were sent to us by multiple citizens,’ PEOPLE reports.
‘These alleged findings have yet to be relayed to my mother and I directly from the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department or any detective involved in Hannah’s case.’
She and her mother, Brandi Yee, also claimed that certain details McDonnell shared about the case at the meeting were inaccurate.
‘Specific facts contained in that report were inaccurate, such as Hannah’s age. Hannah is 30 years old, not 23. Also, Hannah was reported missing to law enforcement on November 11th, not November 13th, as stated by the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.
‘The lack of communication surrounding some important details has left us feeling excluded from potentially crucial developments,’ Sydni argued.
‘However, we do remain hopeful and optimistic that the Los Angeles Police Department is doing everything in their power to assist us in locating Hannah.
Sydni also hit out at the report to Hawaii News Now, saying the police chief ‘kind of seems to state it [as if] she went out and about to do her own thing,’ which may discourage people from searching for her.
Her sister, Sydni, hit out at the claims, saying she would have revealed herself following the death of their father, Ryan Kobayashi (pictured)
Ryan spent nearly two weeks searching for his missing daughter before he took his own life
‘I don’t want to bash the LAPD. I don’t want to discredit them if they are doing what they are doing,’ she said. ‘But at this time, it makes us very confused as to where they are at.’
Sydni also said she continues to believe Hannah is in danger, noting that even if her sister decided to go off-grid, she would have reached out after her father – who spent nearly two weeks looking for her – committed suicide.
‘With my father’s passing, with it being everywhere, in her right state of mind, she would have never thought to not reach out to anybody,’ Sydni said.
She had previously shared similar sentiments with NewsNation, as she shared her concerns with Cuomo’s guest host, Brian Entin, that Hannah may have been taken out of California.
‘Intuitively knowing her and being so close to her my entire life, I just know this is absolutely not like her,’ the worried sister said.
She went on to say she is convinced Hannah wouldn’t have ran away and was ‘an amazing and beautiful person.’
Sydni says she is convinced Hannah wouldn’t have ran away, describing her sister as ‘an amazing and beautiful person’
Kobayashi was caught on security camera footage disembarking a plane at LAX just before 10pm on November 8.
The aspiring photographer was seen wearing a black hoodie and colorful sweatpants as she walked through LAX while wearing a pair of headphones.
Her ex-boyfriend was also onboard that flight, after booking flights for the two of them before they split up.
She was due to take a connecting flight at 11pm, however she never made it, while her ex continued to New York. He is now cooperating with police.
The following day, Kobayashi was spotted at The Grove shopping mall between midday and 3pm. She spent a considerable amount of time at Taschen Books, where she stopped to charge her phone.
At 2:43 she snapped a picture and sent it to her aunt, before returning to the airport where she is believed to have spent the night.
Kobayashi, 30, was caught on security camera footage disembarking a plane at LAX just before 10pm on November 8
In a YouTube video outside of an event in Los Angeles on November 10, Hannah could also be seen wearing the same clothing. She was spotted at a Nike event featuring LeBron James in LA, where she was wearing the same dark hoodie and headphones she wore at the airport, at around 3:30pm. Kobayashi also shared a post on her Instagram from the event with an eye emoji as the caption.
She was next spotted talking to a ticketing agent at LAX at around 5pm. That same day, a missing-persons report was filed by her family amid what they described as uncharacteristic correspondence from Kobayashi.
The family explained that Kobayashi sent some cryptic text messages and Venmo payments to people they didn’t recognize before and after her disappearance.
One payment was sent at 6:25pm on November 9 to a person named Veronica Almendarez for an unknown amount, with the description of the payment only showing a drawn bow and arrow emoji.
The second was made less than an hour later to someone called Jonathan Taylor, also for an undisclosed amount, with the description only saying: ‘Reading.’
Her family has said she was acting suspiciously before and after her disappearance
Hannah sent two people money on Venmo after missing her flight to New York
The recipients’ relationship with Hannah is not currently known, but the missing woman’s family told the Sun that the LAPD is investigating the matter.
Hannah had also sent a series of eerie texts to her loved ones, claiming she had recently undergone a ‘spiritual awakening,’ after she was due to meet family in New York.
In another, she claimed: ‘Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.’
A third text message to a friend said she was ‘tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I love.’
A missing-persons poster also notes: ‘Prior to going missing, [Kobayashi] sent a message on November 10, mentioning feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity. She hasn’t been heard from since.’
One of Hannah’s friends received strange texts from Kobayashi’s phone – indicating that she may be in trouble
The next day, November 11, Kobayashi was spotted boarding an LAX Metro C line at Aviation/Century Station.
She got on board at 9:02pm, before transferring to a different train at the Rosa Parks Station.
Kobayashi was finally seen leaving the Metro Pico Station with the unidentified person at 10:03pm
The family also noted that the young artist’s phone has been off since November 11 and her last pinned location was at the Los Angeles Airport.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for comment.
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