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Missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi was seen on camera crossing into Mexico four days after she landed at a Los Angeles airport and one day after she was last heard from, authorities announced Monday.
Footage from Customs and Border Protection shows the 30-year-old photographer crossing the southern border on foot on Nov. 12 near Tijuana around 12:15 p.m., the LAPD said during a press conference Monday evening.
“She was alone, with her luggage and appeared unharmed,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at the briefing streamed by ABC 7. “At this time Kobayashi’s case has been classified a voluntary missing person.”
Investigators also believe she dumped her phone at some point after reaching LAX on Nov. 8, police said at the news briefing.
McDonnell stressed there is no evidence Kobayashi is a victim of sex trafficking or any foul play after skipping out on her connecting flight to New York.
“Additionally the investigators noted that before departing Maui, Kobayashi expressed the desire to step away from modern connectivity,” he said.
“Our priority is ensuring Ms. Kobayashi’s safety and well-being and we urge Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement or personnel at the US Embassy to let us know that she is safe.”
Police reiterated she intentionally missed the connecting flight from LA to her bucket-list destination of New York City for unknown reasons, though her family disputed that earlier Monday.
“Based on information, surveillance footage reviewed and information shared with us, these are the facts known to my mother and I: It does not appear that Hannah intentionally missed her flight,” Kobayashi’s sister Sydni had said in a statement.
“The lack of communication surrounding some important details has left us feeling excluded from potentially crucial developments. 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,” she added.
Kobayashi’s family members said she sent odd text messages before her disappearance, raising concerns among her loved ones.
