Hannah Kobayashi Found Safe After Leaving U.S. for Mexico
Hannah Kobayashi has returned to U.S. soil.
The 31-year-old—whose disappearance from Los Angeles last month prompted a massive police search effort and pleas from her family—has made it back from Mexico safely.
“The Los Angeles Police Department received notification from Customs Border Protection,” a Dec. 16 statement from LAPD to NBC News read, “that Hannah Kobayashi had presented herself on December 15, 2024, for entry into the US and appeared in good health.”
Hannah’s family also confirmed to ABC7 on Dec. 16 that she has returned safely.
Her arrival means that the case is officially closed, and she has been removed from the Missing and Unidentified Persons System, according to the LAPD statement.
Authorities had already begun winding down their search efforts for Hannah after discovering footage that seemingly showed her willingly traveling to the Mexico border and entering the country. On Dec. 2, LAPD noted she “appeared fine” and “was with nobody else,” prompting them to classify her as a “voluntary missing person.”
Amid the search for Hannah in November, her dad Ryan Kobayashi died by suicide on Nov. 24, according to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner.
“It’s every parents’ nightmare,” Ryan told NBC4 News three days before his death. “We don’t know where to start, where to begin. It’s like a grain of sand in the ocean.”
On Dec. 11, her sister Sydni Kobayashi and mom Brandi Yee confirmed that they had made contact with her.
Hannah Kobayashi/Instagram
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” they shared in a statement to NBC News. “This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through.”
“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time,” the family’s statement concluded. “Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”
Keep reading for the full timeline of events in Hannah’s case.
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