The father of a missing Hawaii woman, Ryan Kobayashi, has died after an apparent suicide, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The 58-year-old father had been searching for his daughter, 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi, after she missed her connecting flight to New York from LAX. Hannah was supposed to meet with family on Nov. 8, according to family.
Kobayashi died after he jumped off from a parking structure near LAX sometime around 4 a.m. on Sunday, police confirmed.
The Kobayashi family issued a statement expressing grief and asking the public to focus on the search for Hannah Kobayashi.
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"The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today," the family said in a statement. "After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family's suffering immeasurably.
"What the family needs most in this difficult time is for all communities to rally around them with support, compassion, and prayers. Please be considerate with your comments and posts. The trauma they are enduring is profound, and they now face the additional burden of grieving the loss of their family's pillar and navigating next steps."
A vigil was held outside of Crypto.com Arena Thursday for Hannah, who is still missing.
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On Nov. 11, family members say they received strange text messages from Hannah about someone trying to steal her identity. All calls that day went straight to voicemail. The family has not heard from her since.
Surveillance footage shows Kobayashi boarding a Metro at Pico Station at 10 p.m. on Nov. 18.
“We’re trying to make them take us seriously because it’s been 11 days,” said Laire Pidgeon, Kobayashi’s aunt. “Just because she doesn’t have a mental illness and just because she is not elderly doesn’t mean something didn’t happen to her.”
Kobayashi was last seen wearing black leggings, a tie-dye sweatshirt and a green backpack.
Any information regarding her whereabouts should be reported to LAPD.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or have concerns about someone else who may be, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
