HANNAH Kobayashi has broken her silence as she spoke to her family members after being found safe in Mexico.
Her sister Sydni revealed that Hannah, who is now staying with her aunt Larie Pidgeon, does not wish to return to her family.
Kobayashi was safely located after going missing for over a month when she vanished from Los Angeles after landing in the city on November 8 on a flight from Maui, Hawaii.
Sydni said she and her mum spoke to Hannah over a call after reports emerged saying Hannah was found safely.
She added: “We have only spoken to her over the phone, and she was allegedly found safe with Larie [her aunt], but at this time, she does not wish to return to us.
“At this time, my mother and I have not physically seen Hannah. We do not have actual proof of where she is, other than that she is somewhere in Mexico.”
Kobayashi became the subject of national attention after her loved ones begged for help finding her last month.
She had been missing since November 11 and her dad was so distraught over her disappearance that he killed himself while searching for her in the streets of Los Angeles.
Her family announced she was found safe following an “unimaginable ordeal”.
Sara Azari, the family’s attorney, did not confirm where Kobayashi was found or why she traveled to Mexico and has not responded to a request for comment.
Kobayashi initially had a layover in Los Angeles, where she was expected to catch a connecting flight to New York City on November 8. However, she missed her 42-minute window to board.
The search began after she sent cryptic texts to her family before going off the grid, prompting crowds of volunteers to canvass the city and hunt for clues in Kobayashi’s disappearance.
The case took a tragic turn when Kobayashi’s dad, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide at a Los Angeles parking garage on November 24 after weeks of searching for his daughter.
It’s unclear whether Kobayashi has learned of her dad’s death yet.
Meanwhile, sister Sydni accused Aunt Larie of creating a “media circus”.
She said: “Larie, a self-proclaimed social media influencer, became the point of contact for the media and did many interviews, despite me and my mum not being in favour of it.
“There were many occasions when my mother and I requested that Larie respect our feelings and tone down her posts and interviews. Our priority was finding Hannah, not creating a media circus.”
Family lawyer Sara Azari added that it is important to note that Hannah’s family comprises Sydni, “her mother and her uncle and that side” and not Pidgeon.
But the worried aunt told the New York Post that her niece is “throwing her under the bus” because she wants to be at the centre of the attention.
Hannah Kobayashi family statement
Hannah Kobayashi has been found a month after she flew to Los Angeles then vanished. Her family released a statement through their attorney on Wednesday, confirming she is safe.
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” they wrote.
“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.
“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.”
TRIP TO MEXICO
Last Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that Kobayashi crossed into Mexico alone on November 12.
Cops deemed her disappearance as “voluntary” due to surveillance footage showing she made the trip from San Diego to Tijuana by herself, with her luggage and passport.
Kobayashi’s vanishing in Mexico further fueled theories that the traveler was involved in a green card marriage scam.
A green card marriage scam typically involves a non-American person marrying an American citizen to obtain legal residency via a green card.
Speculation started to swirl after a picture of Kobayashi appearing to marry an Argentinian man before her trip to Los Angeles circulated on the internet.
However, Azari told The U.S. Sun last week that the family is completely in the dark about any alleged marriage.
After the LAPD closed the case, her family vowed to keep searching for Kobayashi, insisting her erratic behaviour was too bizarre to ignore.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
But despite Kobayashi’s sudden reemergence, there are many unanswered questions about why the aspiring photographer went missing in the first place.
Family members described Kobayashi’s travel to the Big Apple as one of her “bucket list trips.”
Kobayashi, an art fan, had an itinerary planned out for her stay in New York, including stops at the Museum of Moder Art, absorbing Manhattan’s art scene, and visiting her aunt, Geordan Montalvo.
In the days after she stopped contacting her loved ones, Kobayashi was caught on surveillance footage strolling around Los Angeles, including making stops at a bookshop at The Grove, a shopping mall about an hour from Los Angeles International Airport.
On November 11, she uploaded a picture from a Nike event to her Instagram account before shutting off her cell phone.
Then, on November 12, unbeknownst to her family, Kobayashi boarded a bus from Union Station to San Ysidro, San Diego, where she crossed the border into Tijuana, Mexico, by foot, alone and carrying luggage.
The disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi
HANNAH Kobayashi sparked a massive search after missing a flight to New York during a layover in Los Angeles. Here is a timeline of events in the case.
Friday, November 8: Hannah leaves her home in Maui and arrives in Los Angeles for a connecting flight to New York City. She has 42 minutes to make the flight at 11 pm.
Saturday, November 9: Hannah is meant to land at JFK airport in New York City at 7 am but never arrives. She is seen at a bookshop at The Grove, an hour from the Los Angeles airport.
Sunday, November 10: Hannah sends a message saying she’s scared and worried about someone trying to steal her money and identity, alongside several other cryptic texts. She’s later seen at a Nike event at The Grove in Los Angeles.
Monday, November 11: Hannah’s phone data puts her back at LAX. She posts a picture on her Instagram account from the Nike event. Her phone is then turned off.
Tuesday, November 12: Unbeknownst to her family, Hannah catches a bus from Union Station down to San Ysidro, San Diego, and crosses the border into Tijuana, Mexico.
Wednesday, November 13: Family files missing person’s report and flies to LA to search for her. They are informed she was last seen at Pico Station in Downtown Los Angeles with an unidentified male.
Sunday, November 24: After scouring LA’s Skid Row and other areas for nearly a week, Hannah’s dad Ryan takes his own life and is found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot.
Monday, December 2: Cops announce Hannah was spotted in surveillance footage crossing into Mexico from the US on November 12 and say she wanted to step away from modern connectivity. The investigation is paused.
Tuesday, December 3: Hannah’s family vows to keep looking for her in a statement released by their attorney.
Wednesday, December 11: The attorney of the Kobayashi family announced Hannah was located safe.