Hawaii Woman Sent Strange Texts Before Going Dark

Hannah Kobayashi disappears in Los Angeles after missing LAX connection
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 19, 2024 10:30 AM CST
Hawaii Woman Misses LAX Connection, Disappears
Hannah Kobayashi   (LAPD)

Family members are desperate to find a Hawaii woman who flew into Los Angeles 11 days ago, missed a connecting flight, and soon after disappeared. Hannah Kobayashi, an aspiring photographer, had planned to fly from Maui to New York City to explore the art scene but missed her Nov. 8 connecting flight, leaving her stranded in LA, her family says, per NBC News. While awaiting another flight, Kobayashi did some sightseeing, which apparently included visiting The Grove shopping center for a Nike marketing event on Nov. 10. (She's reportedly seen at the 31-second mark of this video.) The following day, loved ones received alarming texts that at times didn't sound like they were written by Kobayashi.

"She said that someone was stealing her identity, that she felt scared," aunt Larie Pidgeon tells NBC. KHNL quotes one text as saying, "I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved." Records also show Kobayashi sent money to two people whose names the family doesn't recognize, Kobayashi's sister tells CNN. Pidgeon says Kobayashi's phone pinged at Los Angeles International Airport at 4pm on Nov. 11 but "went dark" after that. "She hasn't been heard from since, and we are gravely concerned for her safety," Pidgeon says.

Kobayashi "does not appear to be in good condition" in a security video showing her with another person around the downtown Metro train station near Crypto.com Arena, family said Sunday, per CNN. It's unclear when the footage was taken. Kobayashi had booked her trip to New York City with a boyfriend before the pair split up. The ex-boyfriend flew to LA without making contact with Kobayashi and made the connection to New York, NBC reports. Relatives say he's cooperating. It's unclear why Kobayashi failed to make the connection. She has no history of mental illness and "is not on medication," Pidgeon says. She's described as 5'10", 140 pounds, with brown hair, hazel eyes, freckles, and a knife tattoo on her forearm. (More missing person stories.)

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