The lawyer representing the family of missing person Hana Kobayashi released a photo that sparked widespread speculation about the marriage status of the traveler who disappeared nearly a month ago.
Kobayashi, a 30-year-old Hawaiian woman, disappeared after landing in Los Angeles on November 8, sparking a desperate search that has garnered national attention through many twists and turns.
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Police announced Monday that Kobayashi was last seen crossing the US-Mexico border on November 12. Surveillance footage released on November 11 showed Kobayashi with her passport and suitcase.
While police have classified Kobayashi's disappearance as voluntary, saying she wanted a “digital detox,” her family remains unconvinced she is safe as she has not contacted them since November 11.
The case took a turn when fears began to grow that Kobayashi had fallen victim to a green card marriage scam after a photo circulated online showing her marrying an Argentine man named Alan Cacace.
Sarah Azari, The Kobayashi family's lawyer said the family had no idea whether the photo was legitimate or not after a stranger first sent it to Sydney, Kobayashi's sister, last month.
Read more about Hana Kobayashi
“What happened is that on November 15, someone we don't know on Facebook sent a photo of Hannah's sister that looked like a wedding photo on the beach in Hawaii with blankets around their necks and Hannah with this guy,” Azari explained to US. sun.
“They said they got it from Reddit.”
The concerned family immediately turned the photo over to the Los Angeles Police Department, but they didn't know what the cops had found, Azari said.
“We have no idea what law enforcement investigated and, if they did, what they discovered,” Azari added.
Azari, a criminal defense attorney and published author, announced she would step in to represent the family on December 3.
She said her team is investigating the marriage allegations while the search for Kobayashi continues in Mexico.
The green card marriage scam usually involves a foreign national marrying a US citizen to gain legal residency via a green card.
Kobayashi's family reportedly found immigration documents at her home in Hawaii after she disappeared, according to unnamed reports from Los Angeles Magazine.
The family was criticized on social media for not revealing what they knew about the possible fraudulent marriage.
However, the family did not know whether the information was true.
Family statement about the alleged marriage
Hana Kobayashi family attorney, Sarah Azari, shared the following statement on behalf of Hana's family about her allegations of involvement in the green card marriage scam:
“We want to stress that the family did not publicly announce any information regarding the alleged marriage because we did not have the necessary facts or documents to verify the legitimacy of this information.
“The family has not confirmed the authenticity of the photos 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 lawyers and investigation team.
“We would also like to confirm that we handed over the alleged information to law enforcement authorities immediately upon receipt.
“Furthermore, while we appreciate Larry's efforts, she does not speak on behalf of our immediate family, which consists of Hannah's mother, Brandi, and her sister, Sydney.
“We are focused on verifying the details and leads we have received, and ask for your understanding and patience as we continue our investigation.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us during this extremely difficult time. Your efforts, especially those of the volunteers and individuals who went out of their way to help search for Hannah, mean the world to us.”
“Finally, we 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 hampers our efforts to find Hannah, achieve clarity and end the nightmare. We “We live because of its disappearance.”
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“We don’t know if this is true or not,” Azari said.
“We will not share with the public what we do not know.
“Just because someone sent it and said they got it from Reddit, which is also not reliable, doesn't make it true.”
Azari said the family did “the right thing” by giving the information to police to investigate.
The lawyer said as far as the family knows, Kobayashi has never been married before.
We will not share with the public what we do not know.
Sarah Al-Azari
The circulating photo showed that Kasasi posted the wedding photo on October 26, about two weeks before Kobayashi missed her flight to New York City on November 8.
In the days after she was reported missing, volunteers gathered in Los Angeles to search for the missing traveler in response to her family's calls for help following up on cryptic text messages from Kobayashi.
Hana's father, Ryan Kobayashi, was seen breaking down in tears at a rally for the missing woman after he traveled to California to help search for her.
The disappearance of Hana Kobayashi
Hana Kobayashi sparked a massive search after she went missing on a flight to New York during a stopover in Los Angeles. Below is a chronology of events in this case.
Friday 8 November: Hannah leaves her home in Maui and arrives in Los Angeles on a connecting flight to New York City. She has 42 minutes to make the 11 p.m. flight.
Saturday 9 November: Hannah is supposed to land at JFK Airport in New York City at 7 a.m. but she never arrives. She was spotted at a bookstore in The Grove, an hour from LAX.
Sunday 10 November: Hannah sends a text saying she's scared and worried about someone trying to steal her money and identity, along with several other cryptic text messages. She was later seen at a Nike event at The Grove in Los Angeles.
Monday 11 November: Hannah's phone data takes her back to LAX. She posts a photo on her Instagram account from a Nike event. Then her phone turns off.
Tuesday 12 November: Unknown to her family, Hannah takes a bus from Union Station down to San Ysidro, San Diego, and crosses the border into Tijuana, Mexico.
Wednesday 13 November: The family files a missing person's report and travels to Los Angeles to search for her. They were told she was last seen at the Pico station in downtown Los Angeles with an unidentified man.
Sunday 24 November: After searching Skid Row in Los Angeles and other areas for about a week, Hannah's father, Ryan, committed suicide and was found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot.
Monday 2 December: Cops announced that Hannah was spotted on surveillance footage crossing the border into Mexico from the United States on November 12, and they say she wanted to stay away from modern contact. The investigation is suspended.
Tuesday 3 December: Hannah's family pledged to continue searching for her in a statement issued by their lawyer.
Ryan was found dead by suicide in a parking lot at Los Angeles International Airport weeks after his daughter was reported missing, police said.
The LAPD did not comment further when contacted by The US Sun.
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Police stopped searching for Kobayashi after discovering she had entered Mexico voluntarily, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Monday.
'reckless'
Despite the police retreat, Azari said the search for Kobayashi will continue in Mexico.
“I think it is very reckless for the LAPD to describe this as voluntary,” she said.
“I mean you don't have to be dragged by your hair for it to be against your will.
“I just have a problem with sealing records and calling it voluntary when this is unusual behavior for someone.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat at 988lifeline.org, or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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