News Scrap

The father of a missing Hawaii woman tragically passed away in Los Angeles just two weeks after his daughter’s disappearance.

58-year-old Ryan Kobayashi, father of Hannah Kobayashi, was found in a parking structure near LAX early on Sunday, Nov. 24.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that the Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of a body in the 6100 block of Century Boulevard at approximately 4 a.m. where they discovered Ryan deceased from an apparent suicide.

In a statement, the Kobayashi family confirmed Ryan’s death, saying they “endured a devastating tragedy.”

“After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life,” according to the statement. “This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.”

The family has urged 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.”

As you know, Hannah, 30, had flown out of Maui earlier this month for a connecting flight to New York but missed her connection due to a tight layover.

She reached out to her aunt, Geordan Montalvo, explaining she was trying to rebook. Later, Hannah was spotted at a bookstore and then back at LAX on Nov. 9, where she told her aunt her attempt to get on another flight was a “nightmare.”

By Nov. 11, her family began receiving concerning texts, with Hannah saying she feared for her safety, believing someone was trying to steal her identity.

Her last known location was at LAX around 4 p.m. that day, and she was seen getting on a train with an unidentified person. After that, she vanished, with her family not hearing from her again.

A GoFundMe set up for Ryan and his family described him as “a truly exceptional person whose positivity and kind heart brightened every room he entered.”

“Ryan Kobayashi flew to Los Angeles immediately after learning of Hannah’s disappearance. Tragically, Ryan is no longer with us, leaving us all heartbroken and at a loss for words,” organizers wrote.

“He has been living his absolute worst nightmare, since Hannah’s disappearance, and now, with his passing, our family is grappling with unimaginable grief,” the message added.