The 58-year-old father of a Hawaii woman missing since Nov. 11 apparently killed himself Sunday — his body found near Los Angeles International Airport.
The cause and manner of Ryan Kobayashi’s death is the subject of an ongoing investigation as police and volunteers continue looking for his daughter, Hannah, who was last seen Nov. 8 and in contact with her family Nov. 9.
Ryan Kobayashi flew from Hawaii to Los Angeles looking for his missing daughter, and his body was found Sunday in a parking lot, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
The “Help Us Find Hannah” Facebook group, established Nov. 14, counted more than 20,000 followers Monday afternoon.
A GoFundMe account set up to support the family’s search efforts, led by Hannah Kobayashi’s mother, Brandi Yee, and her sister, Sydni, had raised more than $26,000 by Monday afternoon.
“My sister Hannah Kobayashi has been missing since Monday, 11/11/2024. Her last known location was LAX. She missed her connecting flight to NY where she was supposed to meet up with some of our family,” Sydni Kobayashi wrote on the fundraising page. “While the community support (has) been truly astonishing, the scope and intensity of the search are expanding, and so are the expenses with them. We still have not even been able to get any answers from LAPD or LAX and feel we need to continue to push harder to expedite the process.”
Hannah Kobayashi was born and raised on Oahu, and is described as Okinawan and Caucasian, standing 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds, with light brown eyes and dark brown hair.
Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was pronounced dead at 4:15 a.m. Sunday after his body was found in the 6100 block of West Century Boulevard in Los Angeles, according to the County of Los Angeles’ Medical Examiner. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Pacific Division is investigating his death.
“The family of Hannah Kobayashi is urgently pleading with the public to maintain focus on the search for her. Hannah IS still actively missing and is believed to be in imminent danger. It is crucial for everyone to remain vigilant in their efforts to locate Hannah,” read a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser from Rad the Movement, a group of volunteers supporting the Kobayashi family. “The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy. … After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.”
What the family “needs most in this difficult time” is for all communities to rally around them with support, compassion and prayers, the statement said.
“Please be considerate with your comments and posts. The trauma they are enduring is profound, and they now face the additional burden of grieving the loss of their family’s pillar and navigating next steps,” read the statement. “If you see Hannah, please call 911 immediately. Please obtain a photograph if possible. Your prompt action is crucial. If you’re able to safely keep eyes on her until law enforcement arrives, please do so.”
Hannah Kobayashi took a flight from Maui on Nov. 8 bound for New York City to spend time with family upstate after a stop at LAX.
She landed at LAX but missed her next flight, appearing instead to visit the Grove shopping center, where she went to a Nike event Nov. 10, her family told USA Today, and the next day, Kobayashi allegedly went back to LAX but didn’t board a flight.
Later that day, she sent what her family called “strange” text messages about her ID being stolen and expressed concern that someone she thought she loved was trying to take her money, her sister Sydni told the Los Angeles Times.
LAPD officer Drake Madison told the Star-Advertiser on Monday that the department has a missing-persons report for Kobayashi, an investigation is ongoing and no further information was available.
The last post on Kobayashi’s Instagram post was Nov. 10 from Los Angeles, a black-and-white picture of a Lebron James ad. Her last two Venmo payments were made Nov. 10, one marked with a bow-and-arrow emoji and the other with “Reading” as the description for the payment.
All information, tips and media inquiries are to be directed via text to 619-904-0840 or emailed to radthe movement@gmail.com.
