Two weeks after Hawaiian woman Hannah Kobayashi went missing, her father Ryan Kobayashi has died in an apparent suicide in Los Angeles, according to authorities.
Content warning: This story discusses suicide.
The family of Hannah Kobayashi is grieving a massive loss.
Nearly two weeks after the Hawaiian native went missing in Los Angeles Nov. 11, her father Ryan Kobayashi has died in an apparent suicide in the California city, authorities told NBC4.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to NBC4 Los Angeles that Ryan, 58, had jumped off a parking structure near Los Angeles International Airport at around 4 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24.
Ryan had been in Los Angeles to assist in a search for Hannah, 31, who was last seen in surveillance footage boarding a Metro station near Crypto.com Arena Nov. 18, her family told NBC4. He had attended a vigil for her on Nov. 21 nearby, telling reporters, “We’re trying to get our boots on the ground to find out what happened.”
“It’s every parent’s nightmare,” he added to NBC4 at the time. “We don’t know where to start, where to begin. It’s like a grain of sand in the ocean.”
Hannah’s father also told reporters he felt “hopeful” toward finding his daughter. Prior to her disappearance, Hannah had begun sending her family members out-of-character text messages, including one where she described she had undergone a “very intense spiritual awakening,” and expressing anxiety over someone attempting to steal her money or identity.
“That’s when everything started getting fuzzy and we’re starting to lose contact with her,” Hannah’s aunt Larie Pidgeon told KITV News Nov. 14. “This is so unlike Hannah, she’s very responsible.”
The Haiku, Maui native had planned a trip to New York for a concert, photography gig and a family visit, arriving at LAX from Hawaii Nov. 8. After missing her connecting flight, she left the airport to explore Los Angeles—including attending a LeBron James event at The Grove Nov. 10. Although she returned back to the airport Nov. 11, she never boarded her flight, Pidgeon previously confirmed to E! News.
The LAPD also previously confirmed to E! News that there is an ongoing missing person investigation for Hannah.
“We will not stop until we find you, you have so many family, you have so many friends who love you so, so, so much,” Larie told KITV. “If you’re feeling scared or if you feel alone, you are not. We are with you.”
