Missing woman Hannah Kobayashi crossed border into Mexico voluntarily, LAPD says

LOS ANGELES -- Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman who had been believed to be missing in Los Angeles, crossed the border into Mexico on her own accord four days after landing at LAX and is not the victim of any crime, the LAPD said Monday.

"To date the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of any foul play," LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said.

Detectives reviewed her social media accounts and found a desire expressed to "step away from modern connectivity," he added.

The investigation discovered that while Kobayashi initially checked her bag through to New York, she later instructed it be sent to her at LAX, where she retrieved it on Nov. 11.

She later used her passport and cash to buy a bus ticket at Union Station to travel to the San Ysidro border crossing, where she entered Mexico via tunnel on foot at 12:13 p.m. on Nov. 12.

LAPD has not pursued the investigation further into Mexico because it appears she is not the victim of any crime. If she returns to the United States, law enforcement will be notified.

"We've basically done everything we can do at this point," McDonnell said. "She's left the country and in another nation now."

Kobayashi flew from Maui to LAX on Nov. 8 and was supposed to catch a connecting flight to New York a short time later. But she missed the flight and, after a few cryptic text messages, lost contact with her family within a few days. Family members have traveled to Los Angeles to search for her.

Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead last weekend in a parking lot near LAX. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be suicide.