Once-missing Maui woman Hannah Kobayashi was seen on new surveillance footage buying a bus ticket to Mexico.
Los Angeles police said Monday that Kobayashi, 30, was seen buying a bus ticket to the U.S.-Mexico border at Union Station on Nov. 11 — the day she stopped answering messages from her family and friends.
A photo from the surveillance footage, obtained by Fox 11 Los Angeles, shows the aspiring photographer standing at a counter in sweats with her passport in hand and a suitcase next to her.
She was later seen alive in footage from the Tijuana border on November 12 and 13 – about 11 days before her father committed suicide.
Police now believe Kobayashi “intentionally” missed her connecting flight to New York City from Los Angeles International Airport on November 8 and are classifying her disappearance as “voluntary.”
They noted that there is no evidence of human trafficking or foul play, and claimed that she seemed to have wanted a less complicated life.
“Investigators noted that before leaving Maui, Kobayashi expressed a desire to distance himself from modern connectivity,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement Monday.
Los Angeles police added that they will not continue their investigation into Kobayashi, but that they will be notified if she returns to America and they encourage her to contact police or the U.S. Embassy in Mexico to ‘affirm her well-being’.
Hannah Kobayashi, 30, was spotted crossing the US-Mexico border on November 12 when her family reported her missing
She was captured on security footage standing at the Union Station counter the day before, passport in hand
Still, Kobayashi’s family urged community members to continue searching for her, warning against “speculative conclusions.”
Sydni, her sister, argued to NBC News On Tuesday evening, they should have seen the video of Kobayashi entering Mexico at a pedestrian port in San Diego on November 12.
“We’re as confused and as frustrated as anything right now,” she said.
Family attorney Sara Azari agreed, claiming that the LAPD “just came to this conclusion… without appearing [her family] any images.
“It takes a lot more digging and research to say it’s voluntary.”
Instead, Sydni said she fears Hannah is a victim of human trafficking. Despite police assurances, there is no evidence she was forced to cross the border.
Police alleged that Kobayashi expressed a desire to “move away from modern connectivity.”
But Sydni has repeatedly said she could not understand how Hannah could remain out of contact after their father committed suicide during the search.
“She always stayed closer to me than anyone else in our lives.”
Police now believe Kobayashi “intentionally” missed her connecting flight to New York City from Los Angeles International Airport on November 8. She is pictured at Los Angeles International Airport that day
Police say they will not continue investigating Kobayashi, but will be notified if she returns to America
The family had previously released a statement about the LAPD discovery, stressing that the search for Kobayashi is “far from over” and that they will “do everything we can to bring her home safely.”
“We are extremely grateful for the urgency and dedication shown by police in investigating Hannah’s disappearance,” they said in a statement. shared online by NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin.
“Our family remains hopeful that Hannah is safe and urges everyone to continue the search.
“We want answers and a solution that will ensure Hannah’s safety and urge law enforcement and the public to remain focused on finding her and avoid speculative conclusions.
“Spreading awareness and sharing verified information about her case is critical, and we appreciate your continued support in these efforts.”
Azari added that the family will now deploy supporters to search for Kobayashi in Mexico.
Kobayashi’s family argued that she was behaving unusually in the days after she missed her flight to New York, citing strange text messages and Venmo payments.
They are urging the public to continue their search efforts and are sending volunteers to Mexico
The family have repeatedly raised concerns that Hannah may be in danger, with Sydni even claiming at one point that it seemed like “someone was checking on her” as she sent cryptic text messages.
In the messages, she claimed she had recently undergone a “spiritual awakening” after meeting family in New York.
In another, she claimed: ‘Deep Hackers erased my identity, stole all my money and have had me on their minds since Friday.’
A third text message to a friend said she had “pretty much been tricked into giving away all my money to someone I thought I loved.”
Kobayashi had also sent some unusual Venmo payments after her disappearance.
One payment was sent to an individual named Veronica Almendarez for an undisclosed amount on November 9 at 6:25 PM, with the description of the payment only containing a drawn bow and arrow emoji.
The second was transferred less than an hour later to someone named Jonathan Taylor, also for an undisclosed amount, with the description only: “Reading.”
Family members said they did not recognize either name and noted that Kobayashi’s phone has been turned off since Nov. 11, with the last pinned location being Los Angeles International Airport.
But the family abruptly closed the Facebook page dedicated to the search efforts for Kobayashi, claiming they were receiving death threats.
The Help Us Find Hannah page was removed from the social media site on Sunday, and Kobayashi’s sister, Sydni, and her mother, Brandi Yee, said they reported the threats to the FBI.
There are now also questions about the GoFundMe the family has set up as Kobayashi is determined not to become a victim of foul play.
Many donors to the fundraiser, which raised more than $47,000, are demanding refunds.
The fundraiser was set up on November 15 with a goal of $50,000. As of Tuesday, it was 94 percent of the way there.
According to the GoFundMe, the money would be used for food and hydration for search teams, transportation, communications equipment and technology, a media campaign, “temporary housing for essential personnel,” and on-site support for the family.
On November 26, the family updated the fundraiser to add funeral expenses for Kobayashi’s father to the scope.
A GoFundMe spokesperson confirmed that the fundraiser remains within its terms of service at this time.