The aunt of missing woman Hannah Kobayashi has chosen to separate from her family as she intensifies her personal search for her niece, preparing to travel to Mexico in a desperate bid to confirm her safety.
Larie Pidgeon explained that she felt the funds raised by the family should be directed toward hiring a private investigator rather than a lawyer, according to NewsNation.
She also emphasized that she has no association with her sister's GoFundMe account, nor has she ever been involved with it.
"My sole focus remains on finding Hannah and ensuring her safety and well-being. It has now been 25 days since anyone has heard from her, and I am determined to continue my search," Pidgeon stated. "I am preparing to travel to Mexico personally to further the efforts to locate her and verify that she is acting of her own free will and is truly safe."
Kobayashi disappeared while on a trip from Hawaii to New York, missing a connecting flight in Los Angeles. Family members said, NewNation also reported, that they received strange texts from her that were out of character before her phone was turned off. Surveillance video showed her at LA's Grove Market and near the stadium where the LA Lakers play, some footage indicating she wasn't alone. This has led the family to fear she may have been trafficked.
The search has been complicated by the suicide of her father, Ryan Kobayashi.
Authorities later classified Kobayashi's case as voluntary, saying she intentionally skipped her flight and walked to Mexico. Her family rejected this, claiming the police did not provide accurate information or updates.
They insist they don't believe Kobayashi missed her flight intentionally and fear she may have been targeted by a green card marriage scam. This fear was reinforced after a photo surfaced showing her at a Hawaiian beach wedding with a man.
"A Facebook user sent what looked like a Hawaiian beach wedding photo of Hannah with another man with leis around their necks wearing white, and they said that they learned off of Reddit that there was this sham marriage for money and that this is the wedding picture that's being circulated on Reddit," said Sara Azari, the Kobayashi family's attorney. "Of course, that came as a shock to Hannah's sister."
Azari also suggested that Pidgeon's statements could be motivated by her desire to raise her profile as an influencer.
