Family release statement after woman who went missing for over a month was found 'safe and well'
Topics: Los Angeles, Mental Health, Social Media
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: LAPD/Facebook
Topics: Los Angeles, Mental Health, Social Media
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
In the space of just over a month the Kobayashi family has suffered immense loss after their daughter vanished in LA.
On November 8, Hannah Kobayashi was meant to be heading to New York having departed from Maui in Hawaii, but when she landed in Los Angeles she decided against waiting in LAX airport to catch her connecting flight, and instead vacated.
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The aspiring photographer is understood to have text her friend saying she had had a 'spiritual awakening' and traveled into the Californian city.
The 30-year-old was later spotted with an unknown man and three days later, on November 11, her family claimed to have received texts from her explaining that someone was trying to steal her identity.
Her father Ryan Kobayashi flew into LA to help search for his missing daughter. However, on November 24, Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that Ryan was found dead in what is believed to have been suicide while searching for his daughter, at around 4.00am.
Now, the Kobayashi family has released a statement through their attorney Sara Azari on Twitter, thanking those that have helped and revealing Hannah has been found 'safe'.
"We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe. This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through," it began.
"We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.
"Brandi Yee & Sydni Kobayashi."
It comes more than a week after Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell gave a press briefing explaining Hannah is 'voluntarily missing' and that 'she has a right to her privacy'.
"As the family is aware, late yesterday after traveling to the US-Mexico border we reviewed video surveillance from US Customs and Border Protection which clearly shows Kobayashi crossing United States border on foot into Mexico," he said.
Adding: "To date the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play. She is also not a suspect in any criminal activity.
“She has a right to her privacy, and we respect her choices but we also understand that the concern her loved ones feel for her.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.