Police searching for Hannah Kobayashi, the 30-year-old Hawaii woman missing for over three weeks, said they won't extend their investigation into Mexico after footage showed her entering the country willingly and with luggage.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said it will be notified if Kobayashi returns to the United States. Her case will continue to be considered a missing-person one until her whereabouts are confirmed.
"To date, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play. She is also not a suspect in any criminal activity," LAPD said. Authorities also noted that before leaving Maui she had "expressed a desire to step away from modern connectivity."
After reviewing footage from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), investigators determined that Kobayashi crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone and on foot. The images contrasted with what she had told a family member: that she was traveling to New York for a paid photography job.
Kobayashi arrived in Los Angeles on November 8 but missed her connection. She had checked her bag for transit but asked to retrieve it at the Los Angeles Airport. She picked it up three days later. In the meantime, footage showed her buying a bus ticket to San Ysidro, close to the southern border. She crossed the border the next day.
The case garnered national attention due to its bizarre nature and especially after her father, Ryan, was found dead in Los Angeles after spending almost two weeks looking for her. His death was ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
LAPD is urging Kobayashi to contact authorities or the U.S. Embassy in Mexico so "officials can confirm her well-being." "The classification of Kobayashi as a voluntary missing person reflects a careful balance between respecting her right to privacy and the absence of concrete evidence indicating foul play," authorities said.
Originally published in Latin Times
