A Hawaii family’s tragedy has grown deeper upon the death of a man who had come to Los Angeles to search for his missing daughter.
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, died Sunday in what police believe to be a suicide, according to KNBC-TV.
Kobayashi was searching for his daughter, Hannah Kobayashi, who has been missing since Nov. 8, when she failed to board a flight to New York City from Los Angeles.
Kobayashi jumped off from a parking structure near the airport at about 4 a.m. on Sunday, police said.
TRAGIC DEVELOPMENT!
Father of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi found dead near LAX.
Ryan Kobayashi jumped from a parking garage and was found Sun morning according to Los Angeles Police Department.
He came to LA to search for his daughter.#HannahKobayashi #missing #dad pic.twitter.com/A6X2nadVRg— The Last Show- Karen Lee (@thelastshow) November 25, 2024
Just days earlier, Ryan Kobayashi was on television discussing his family’s plight:
“The Kobayashi family endured a devastating tragedy today,” the family said in a statement, according to the U.K. Daily Mail.
“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,” the statement said.
“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,” the family said.
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, had been in Los Angeles searching for his missing daughter. https://t.co/cPmqCKwajK
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) November 25, 2024
Surveillance video confirmed that Hannah Kobayashi landed in Los Angeles on Nov. 8, according to the New York Post. Other video showed her in downtown Los Angeles in the ensuing days.
During that time, messages family members said were unlike her came from her phone.
One message said she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds.”
Another message cited betrayal by “someone I thought I loved.”
“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f–k since Friday,” another message read.
“She mentioned feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity,” Larie Pidgeon, Hannah’s aunt, said.
“Strange, cryptic messages — things about the matrix, it was so unlike her. And then all of a sudden, no more communication,” she said.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.