The family of a Hawaii woman missing since
Nov. 11 has hired a criminal defense attorney after the Los Angeles police chief said she entered Mexico voluntarily and amid a report that she may have been involved in an alleged immigration scam marriage with an Argentine man.
What has become of 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi, an Oahu woman who recently moved to Maui, is unknown amid viral online speculation about her marital status and a family tragedy.
Her 58-year-old father, Ryan Kobayashi, killed himself Nov. 24 Opens in a new tab after searching for his daughter in Los Angeles for two weeks.
A GoFundMe set up to pay for search efforts, legal fees, Kobayashi’s funeral, communication devices, a media campaign and other efforts designed to find Hannah Kobayashi had raised more than $47,600 by Thursday evening with a stated goal of $50,000.
Among the latest reports about Kobayashi’s whereabouts is that the FBI is investigating whether she was “scammed out of the proceeds” of a purported “immigration scheme possibly concocted by her former partner, who left Maui with Kobayashi on Nov. 8 and landed at LAX with plans to catch a connecting flight to New York City,” according to a Wednesday story published by Los Angeles Magazine.
Also on the plane, according to the magazine, was
Kobayashi’s “secret new husband, Alan Cacace, an Argentinian man whose own girlfriend, Marianna,” was also on the flight with Kobayashi’s former partner.
Kobayashi’s mother, Brandi Yee, “discovered
immigration documents
in her daughter’s home in Hawaii” that listed an immigration attorney who was unhelpful, the magazine reported citing an unnamed source close to the
investigation.
Sara Azari, a Los Angeles-based criminal defense
attorney representing the
Kobayashi family, shared a statement from the family with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that Kobayashi’s alleged marriage was not
disclosed because they did not “have the facts or the necessary documents to
verify the legitimacy of this information.”
“The family has not confirmed the authenticity of the images or the accuracy of the information provided about a possible secret marriage. This is one of many leads we are actively investigating with the help of our
attorney (Azari) and investigative team. We would also like to confirm that we turned over the alleged information to law enforcement immediately upon receipt,” read the statement from the Kobayashi family. “We kindly ask everyone to avoid jumping to conclusions or spreading unverified claims. It is especially important not to perpetuate speculation that anyone is involved in a scam, as this only hinders our efforts to find Hannah and bring clarity and closure to the nightmare we are
living because of her
disappearance.”
Azari told the Star-Advertiser the Kobayashi “family has no documents regarding an immigration scam or the alleged marriage.”
“The family has not been able to confirm the allegations of marriage, let alone a scam. A Facebook user sent a purported beach wedding photo to Hannah’s sister along with information that came from Reddit alleging that Hannah was involved in a sham marriage for money,” said Azari. “We have no information regarding what law enforcement has done in this regard, nor what their investigation has uncovered. We now have to investigate these allegations privately with my team.”
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field office provided assistance to LAPD, which is leading the missing-person investigation.
“As far as any new allegations of criminal activity, the FBI neither confirms or denies the existence of an investigation per long-standing policy,” Laura Eimiller, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Los Angeles Field office, told the Star-Advertiser.
“To date, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told the Los Angeles Times earlier this week. “She is also not a suspect in any criminal activity.”
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.
She boarded a flight from Maui on Nov. 8 bound for New York after a stop in Los Angeles.
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. The next day, she allegedly went back to LAX but didn’t get on a plane.
On Dec. 4 an administrator of the “Help Us Find Hannah” Facebook group, which gained more than 25,700 followers, archived the page, meaning followers could no longer post or comment, but existing content remained.
On Dec. 3, Kobayashi’s sister, Sydni Kobayashi, posted a message on the family’s GoFundMe page thanking donors for supporting Hannah Kobayashi and the Kobayashi family.
“Your donations have helped pay for food and
hydration for the search teams, most of whom have been volunteers; transportation for our family and
critical support team; communication devices and technology for an extensive search area with no cell phone service; a media
campaign to maximize awareness of Hannah’s case and how to get in touch with the appropriate authorities; temporary accommodations for essential personnel; and on-site support for our family members,” wrote Sydni Kobayashi. “As my late father’s next of kin, I’m solely responsible for costs associated with his passing and funeral. Your donations have also helped me pay for our father’s funeral expenses.”
Los Angeles Police
Department Chief Jim
McDonnell told police commissioners Monday that “Hannah is missing ‘voluntarily’ and crossed the border alone into Mexico or about Nov. 12,” she wrote.
McDonnell also told commissioners that LAPD found evidence that Hannah Kobayashi wanted to “step away from modern connectivity,” and investigators did not think she was the victim of a crime.
“My family and I are extremely concerned for my sister. This type of behavior is not aligned with Hannah’s character and pattern. The LAPD and law enforcement have not shared any evidence with us. In fact, we learned these facts for the first time on Dec. 2,” read the statement. “My sister’s purported ‘voluntary’ disappearance is shocking to all of us and, we are extremely concerned for her safety while we continue to grieve my father’s loss. We have therefore hired an attorney and a private investigator, and we will also need legal and investigative services in Mexico in order to locate Hannah. In addition to the expenses associated with our continued search efforts, we now also anticipate significant legal costs and expenses as we continue our search for Hannah.”
LAPD Deputy Chief
Alan Hamilton told the
Los Angeles Times that the department spent “inordinate amount of resources” out of concern Hannah
Kobayashi was in danger.
McDonnell said at a news conference Monday that Kobayashi was recorded on video surveillance using cash and her passport to buy a bus ticket to Union Station.
She then reached the San Ysidro border crossing, where she entered Mexico alone and with her luggage.
“You have someone moving independently for four days without duress,” Hamilton said. “One of the main
issues with identifying someone as voluntarily missing is that people get to live their lives, and if we observe through various means that they are not being coerced or under duress or subject to physical force, we can’t just continue to investigate people wantonly beyond that.”
