Hannah Kobayashi: Everything known about missing Hawaii woman ...

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FILE - Volunteers put up flyers of missing Maui woman Hannah Kobayashi outside Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 21, 2024. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

A missing persons case in Los Angeles took a turn this week when police said they found surveillance footage of her crossing into Mexico. 

Hannah Kobayashi, of Hawaii, was reported missing by her family several weeks ago. She was due in New York on Nov. 8 for a new job and to visit family, and spent time in Los Angeles after missing her layover. 

Here’s what to know about the 30-year-old: 

Hawaii life 

Hannah Kobayashi was living in Hawaii, where she was an up-and-coming photographer from Maui.

Missed flight

On Nov. 8, 2024, Kobayashi was due to fly from Hawaii to New York for a new job and to visit relatives. 

She didn’t make her layover from Los Angeles to New York that day, and told her family she would sleep in the Los Angeles International Airport that night. 

Downtown Los Angeles visit

Her family assumed she was on standby for the next flight, but heard from her the next day that she was going to go sightseeing around Los Angeles. Her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, said her niece had mentioned wanting to visit The Grove shopping mall and downtown LA. 

Kobayashi's phone last pinged at LAX on Nov. 11, where she was seen talking to an American Airlines agent but did not board a flight, according to her family.

That same day, the family says they heard from her again – but in a "strange and cryptic" text that was "alarming."

Her aunt said the text referenced being "intercepted" as she got on a Metro train and being scared that someone might be stealing her identity.

Her family says they started asking more questions and lost contact with her that day, and reported her missing on Nov. 12. 

Los Angeles police began investigating her whereabouts.

Mexico visit

In early December, authorities said they’d obtained surveillance video from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection that shows Kobayashi walking alone, carrying luggage and entering into a tunnel at the San Ysidro crossing into Mexico on Nov. 12. 

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said no evidence suggested she was being trafficked or was otherwise a victim of a crime.

Authorities say they now believe Kobayashi missed her connecting flight on purpose, which her family has publicly disputed. 

Police said they learned Kobayashi requested that her luggage, which had been checked to New York, be sent back to LAX. She then returned to the airport to retrieve it on Nov. 11 and did not have her phone when she left again, according to police.

Police have classified her case as a "voluntary missing person" and said they have not interacted with police in Mexico regarding her whereabouts.

Investigators say they found she had "expressed the desire to step away from modern connectivity."

RELATED: Hannah Kobayashi: Missing woman safely crossed U.S.-Mexico border, LAPD says

Hannah Kobayashi’s family

This section includes discussion of suicide. If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support 24/7/365. Call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org for an online chat. 

Kobayashi’s family flew in from Hawaii and had been speaking with Los Angeles investigators and searching for her alongside local volunteers. 

A public Facebook group garnered the interest of more than 25,000 participants.

On Nov. 24, about two weeks after her disappearance, her father, Ryan Kobayashi, was found dead by suicide in a parking lot near LA International Airport, according to the county medical examiner.

The family confirmed his death in a statement.

"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."

Her family continues to speak out and fear for her safety. 

Her case will remain active until her safety is confirmed by law enforcement.