‘Please Don’t Hurt Her’: Family Fears Hawaiian Woman Hannah Kobayashi Was Abducted During Mysterious LAX Layover
( Image: Facebook/abc7)
More than a week after 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi disappeared following a missed connecting flight at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), her family fears she may have been abducted. Kobayashi, a Hawaiian native, was last seen on November 11 in surveillance footage with an unidentified individual.
Suspicious text messages sent from Kobayashi’s phone before her disappearance have heightened her family’s concerns. The messages included unfamiliar terms like “hun,” “love,” and “babe,” prompting her sister, Sydni Kobayashi, to question their authenticity.
“I personally don’t think that was my sister,” Sydni told CNN. “She doesn’t use the word ‘hun.’ Even her close friends have said the same.” One alarming text read, “Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.” Another stated, “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds,” followed by, “For someone I thought I loved.”
Kobayashi had left Maui on November 8, heading to New York via Los Angeles. She missed her overnight flight to JFK Airport, scheduled for November 9. According to her family, Kobayashi had planned the trip with her ex-boyfriend before their breakup but intended to part ways at JFK. The trip involved a photography job and a performance, and she was excited about the opportunity, her family told ABC 7 Eyewitness News.
Her family filed a missing person’s report on November 13 after receiving no communication from her. The last known location of her phone was at LAX on November 10. She also reportedly attended a Nike pop-up event in Los Angeles earlier in the day and shared a post on Instagram before going silent.
The FBI is now assisting the Los Angeles Police Department in the search for Kobayashi. Her aunt, Laurie Pidgeon, shared the family’s growing fears during an interview with CNN: “We try not to think the worst… but our mind is now going to abduction and, I hate to say the word, but trafficked.”
Pidgeon issued an emotional plea to Kobayashi and anyone who may have information. “Hannah, we love you. We are all here. Your mom’s here, your sister’s here, your father’s here. The entire world is looking for you. If someone has Hannah, I want you to know that she is the kindest, most beautiful soul in the entire world. And please don’t hurt her.” As authorities continue their investigation, Kobayashi’s family and friends are holding onto hope while urging anyone with information to come forward.
