The father of a missing Hawaii woman who vanished while heading to New York City for vacation was found dead near Los Angeles Airport early Sunday morning.
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was in Los Angeles to search for his 30-year-old daughter, Hana Kobayashi, after she missed a connecting flight to New York from Los Angeles International Airport more than two weeks ago.
Police confirmed that Kobayashi died after jumping from a parking lot near Los Angeles Airport sometime around 4 a.m. on Sunday, according to NBC Los Angeles.
A non-profit organization believed to be helping in the search for Hannah also submitted a statement on behalf of the family.
“The Kobayashi family has suffered a devastating tragedy today,” RAD wrote.
“After searching tirelessly throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hana's father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically committed suicide. This loss has compounded the family's suffering immeasurably.
The non-profit organization asked for privacy for the grieving family and urged the public to focus on searching for Hannah, especially after the tragic news about her father.
The Post has contacted the Los Angeles Police Department for comment.
On Monday, Kobayashi spoke with KTLA while in Golden State, hoping to reach his daughter.
“I miss her,” he said. “I just want her to know that, and I just want her to communicate anything.”
Hannah flew from Maui to Los Angeles on November 8, where she was supposed to take a connecting flight to New York for a “bucket list” trip and to visit her aunt.
However, she missed that flight after 42 minutes despite surveillance footage indicating she landed at Los Angeles International Airport.
Her loved ones were initially concerned after she sent strange text messages to her family and friends before her disappearance, including a message to a friend saying she had been “scammed out of all my money”.
In another message, she claimed she had been cheated on by “someone I thought I loved.”
“Deep Hackers erased my identity, stole all my money, and have me in a state of panic since Friday,” another message read.
The family previously said the text messages supposedly from Hannah were not like her.
“She mentioned feeling afraid that someone might try to steal her money and her identity,” her aunt, Lari Pidgeon, said.
“Strange, cryptic messages – things about the Matrix, that were completely different from it. Suddenly, communications were cut off.”
Other footage showed Kobayashi at the Grove Shopping Center in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles on November 9 and 10, as well as a video of her returning to LAX but not boarding a flight on November 11 before she was seen near the subway. USA Today reported.
The family said that their phone has been off since November 11.
The family filed a police report with the LAPD, Los Angeles authorities and the FBI.
Hana Kobayashi is 5 feet 10 inches tall and around 140 pounds. She has brown hair, brown eyes, and light skin with freckles.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
