On Sunday morning, Ryan Kobayashi was found dead near Los Angeles International Airport. He was the father of Hannah Kobayashi, a woman from Hawaii who has been missing since early November this year.
Ryan, 58, went to Los Angeles after his daughter, Hannah, 31, went missing while traveling from Maui to New York City. She was last seen after she missed her connecting flight on November 8. Two days after her family reported her missing, Hannah Kobayashi was confirmed to have been at Pico Metro Station in downtown Los Angeles.
At that time, her family received troubling and cryptic text messages from her, indicating that she believed someone was trying to steal her identity. “She mentioned feeling scared,” her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, recalled. Just before she disappeared, surveillance cameras captured Hannah, but since that moment, no one has heard from her.
On November 24, around 4 a.m., Ryan Kobayashi was found dead and it is believed by officials that he took his own life by jumping from a parking structure at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). He had been searching for Hannah during this difficult time.
In an interview with KTLA last week, Ryan shared how he felt about his daughter missing, saying, “I miss her… Just want her to know that.”
Following his death, the nonprofit organization RAD Movement issued a statement to express their condolences. They stated, “This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.” Meanwhile, the Kobayashi family is urgently asking the public to keep their attention on finding Hannah.
They are stressing that Hannah Kobayashi is in immediate danger and that they need help in locating her. The family has also requested that any sightings of her be reported through a 911 call, text to 619-904-0840, or email to [email protected].