The father of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi died by suicide in Los Angeles on Sunday, the county coroners office has said.
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was found dead in the 6100 block of West Century Boulevard about 4 a.m PST, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told Newsweek on Monday.
He had traveled to the city to search for his daughter after she went missing after not catching her connecting flight at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on November 8.
Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on Monday listed his cause of death as multiple blunt force traumatic injuries in a parking lot. The manner of death was suicide.
Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo
Kobayashi’s family called his death “a devastating tragedy” in a statement issued Sunday via missing persons support organization The Rad Movement.
“After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life,” the statement said. “This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.”
The family is urgently pleading with the public to maintain focus on the search for her. “Hannah IS still actively missing and is believed to be in imminent danger. It is crucial for everyone to remain vigilant in their efforts to locate Hannah.”
Ryan Kobayashi was “a truly remarkable person who lit up every room with his positivity and kind heart,” Kobayashi’s niece wrote on a GoFundMe page collecting donations to support his fiancée.
“He has been living his absolute worst nightmare, since Hannah’s disappearance, and now, with his passing, our family is grappling with unimaginable grief. Ryan’s love for his family was boundless, and he would do anything to protect and care for his daughters.”
What Happened to Hannah Kobayashi?
Hannah Kobayashi remains missing.
The 31-year-old flew from Maui to LAX on November 8 en route to New York.
She was seen on security footage leaving the airport that day dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and tie-dye leggings.
On November 9, she was seen by employees of the Taschen bookstore at The Grove shopping mall, her family said, and then on November 10 on video at a Nike event there.
She returned to LAX on November 11, but did not board a flight, her family said. Her phone last pinged at the airport that day, but has not been found.
California Attorney General’s Office
Larie Pidgeon, her aunt, told USA Today on November 17 that the family started to receive out-of-character messages from her phone. “We started getting texts saying that she didn’t feel safe, that someone was trying to steal her funds, that someone was trying to take her identity,” Pidgeon said. “Weird things, calling us babe, things that weren’t quite the normal way that she speaks.”
One read, “I got hacked, stripped of my identity, I can’t fly,” Hawaii News Now reported. Another: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away my funds for someone I thought I loved. I’ve been on the streets.”
Kobayashi’s family said on November 17 that they had obtained surveillance footage that showed her in the vicinity of the Pico Metro station in downtown Los Angeles.
“In the footage, it is evident that Hannah does not appear to be in good condition, and she is not alone,” a statement said.
Kobayashi is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds. She has brown hair, brown eyes and fair skin with freckles. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the LAPD on 1-877-527-3247 or The Rad Movement on 619-904-0840 or by email to radthemovement@gmail.com.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org
