Case of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi takes another ...

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LAPD: Hannah Kobayashi spotted crossing border into Mexico

Hannah Kobayashi was reported missing in early November after she missed her connecting flight to New York from Los Angeles.

The case of a Hawaii woman whose disappearance was the subject of a large search effort in Los Angeles took a dramatic turn this week when police officials said they reviewed footage of her crossing into Mexico.

Hannah Kobayashi, 30, of Maui, walked through the U.S.-Mexico border in California voluntarily on Nov. 12, days after she missed her connecting flight to New York, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Monday. He said she has now been classified as a voluntary missing person and the department will halt its investigation while she is out of the country.

"We've basically done everything we can do at this point," he said. "She's left the country and is in another nation now. So, as I mentioned in the earlier comments, if she comes back into the U.S., law enforcement will be notified of that, and we will try and do whatever we can if there's a need to at that time."

McDonnell said she was not the victim of an abduction, foul play, or human trafficking as had been rumored on social media. And while police have not confirmed a motive, he said Kobayashi had previously expressed a desire to step away from "modern connectivity" and left her phone behind in California.

It was the latest wrinkle in a case that has seized national attention since Kobayashi was reported missing last month.

Kobayashi last contacted her family on Nov. 11, after which they filed a missing person report and launched an in-person, volunteer search effort. On Nov. 24, her father, who had been trying to locate Kobayashi, was found dead near Los Angeles International Airport in an apparent suicide.

The family has not responded to USA TODAY's request for comment about Kobayashi purportedly entering Mexico. In a statement posted on social media hours before the LAPD's news conference on Monday, Kobayashi's sister, Sydni Kobayashi, thanked people who've come to the family's aid and vowed to continue search efforts, writing "we will not stop until we find my sister."

Here's what we know about Kobayashi's whereabouts and the missing person investigation:

Kobayashi misses flight; family and police at odds on intentionality

McDonnell has said that Kobayashi intentionally missed her flight to New York after she arrived in Los Angeles from Hawaii on Nov. 8 – a claim the family disputes.

"For unknown reasons, she decided not to board her prescheduled flight to New York that same day," he said at a news conference Monday.

Sydni Kobayashi previously said on social media that “It does not appear that Hannah intentionally missed her flight," citing surveillance footage and information shared with the family.

Kobayashi had a ticket on the same New York-bound flight as her ex-boyfriend. They kept the tickets because they couldn’t get a refund and planned to go their separate ways after landing in New York, Kobayashi’s sister told the Los Angeles Times. CNN reported the ex-boyfriend made the connecting flight, but she didn’t.

Kobayashi seen around LA for several days

From Nov. 8 to Nov. 11, video footage and still imagery reviewed by the Los Angeles Police Department showed Kobayashi at "various locations around Los Angeles," McDonnell said on Monday.

Kobayashi stopped at the Taschen bookstore at The Grove shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles around noon on Nov. 9. While searching for Kobayashi in person, her relatives stopped in the bookstore and confirmed she was there and had filled out a newsletter form, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The next day, was again seen at The Grove, this time in a promotional video for a Nike event around 3:40 p.m. She had remained active on Instagram for several days and had posted a photo of the event on the social media platform.

Strange text messages, online payments

The family began receiving concerning text messages after Kobayashi missed her flight, family and police said. The messages were out of character, her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, told USA TODAY, pointing to odd phrases and a lack of emojis.

The last day her family made contact with her was Nov. 11. In screenshots of text messages shared with USA TODAY, Kobayashi said she was on her way to the airport.

"I have a safe passage" and "Will keep you posted," she said, later adding "Matrix style." In follow-up messages, she said, "I'm safe", "Love you", "Don't worry", "For the good of all", I will keep you posted", "Promise" and "Call you soon."

On Monday, Alan Hamilton, the chief of detectives for the LAPD, told reporters "the communication can be interpreted a number of ways," adding: "We are not able to interpret those communications without having her present to explain how she felt when she sent them and what the specific meanings were for those messages."

Kobayashi also sent two payments on Venmo to two people her family didn’t recognize, CNN reported.

Kobayashi returns to LAX and is seen with 'unknown person'

McDonnell said that while she initially checked her bag through to New York, Kobayashi requested it be sent to her at LAX. He said the police department has seen surveillance footage showing Kobayashi picking up her luggage from the baggage carousel on Nov. 11.

Pidgeon, Kobayashi's aunt, told USA TODAY that Kobayashi spoke to an American Airlines ticketing agent between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.

The next time Kobayashi appears on surveillance video, Pidgeon said, was hours later near the Pico Metro station in downtown Los Angeles alongside an unidentified person, who Pidgeon said she believes "misled" Kobayashi. She added: "We believe that she just trusted the wrong person."

Hamilton said at Monday's news conference that detectives identified and interviewed the man who was spotted with Kobayashi. He told police he met Kobayashi at LAX.

"That individual was cooperative in the investigation, that individual cooperated by allowing himself to be interviewed with his attorney present and family members," Hamilton said. "He gave a full disclosure of the entire sequence of events. We utilized independent investigative techniques to verify his story, and it fully checked out."

Footage shows Kobayashi crossing US-Mexico border

According to McDonnell, Kobayashi traveled to Los Angeles Union Station – the main train station in the city – where she used her passport to buy a bus ticket for a destination near the California-Mexico border on Nov. 11.

McDonnell said Kobayashi traveled from Union Station to the San Ysidro district of San Diego the next day and crossed the border into Mexico at 12:13 p.m. on Nov. 12. Officials added that she was alone and carrying her luggage.

"She appeared fine," Hamilton said. "She was with nobody else."

She wanted to 'disconnect from her phone,' police say

McDonnell on Monday told reporters that before she departed Maui, Kobayashi "expressed a desire to step away from modern connectivity." He did not go into further detail about how she expressed that desire.

LAPD Lt. Douglas Oldfield said "there were some desires or posts" police had reviewed that would be consistent with "somebody who'd want to disconnect from her phone."

"Are we 100% right on that? We can't say. We just know that she did not have her phone after she left LAX," Oldfield said. "We know she doesn't have her phone on her. For what reason we can't say for sure."

McDonnell said there was no evidence that the family caused Kobayashi to abruptly stop communicating with them and leave the country.

"No indication that there would be anything to cause this to happen in this fashion," he said, adding, "but like any family situation who knows what the dynamics are."

After family launches search effort, father found dead

On Nov. 24, the case took a tragic turn when police announced Kobayashi's father, Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was found dead at a parking lot adjacent to LAX. The family later confirmed on Facebook he had died by suicide.

Pidgeon told USA TODAY that she and the rest of her family were shocked by her brother-in-law's sudden and unexpected death. "Suicide is not something that was even spoken of. It wasn't even a concept that we would think would happen," she said.

Pidgeon added he "had a mental breakdown" from a lack of sleep and worry while searching for his daughter.

"He just died of a broken heart," Pidgeon said. "Being on the streets and seeing what the possibilities of where his daughter could be. No sleep. The speculating rumors that are going around. It just took a toll on him."

The family launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for their search for Kobayashi, including food, transportation and a media campaign. The fundraiser, which has received $46,804 as of Tuesday, almost at its goal of $50,000, will also help pay for Ryan Kobayashi's funeral costs, the family said.

Tragic turn: Aunt of missing woman Hannah Kobayashi explains father's death

Police say Kobayashi 'was not a victim of foul play'

LAPD officials on Monday said investigators have not uncovered "any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play." Police added that Kobayashi is also not a suspect in any criminal activity.

Kobayashi's missing person case will remain active in the Missing and Unidentified Persons System until her safety is confirmed by law enforcement, officials said.

"Our priority is ensuring Ms. Kobayashi's safety and well-being," McDonnell told reporters Monday. "We urge Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement, or personnel at the U.S. Embassy to let us know she is safe. She has the right to privacy, and we respect her choices, but we also understand the concern her loved ones feel. A simple message could reassure those who care about her."

McDonnell added: "I'm very sorry to the family for all that they've been through throughout this ordeal."

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, Eduardo Cuevas, James Powel, Anthony Robledo.

Editor’s note: This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

(This story was updated to add new information.)