Donors to a GoFundMe set up to find ‘missing’ Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi are demanding refunds after it emerged she ‘voluntarily’ travelled to Mexico.
Kobayashi’s family set up the fundraiser, which has raised more than $47,000, to aid the search for the aspiring photographer, who disappeared from LAX airport after missing a connecting flight on November 8.
The 30-year-old was travelling from her home in Maui to New York to visit her aunt, but never arrived in the city.
However, investigators have now revealed that Kobayashi ‘knowingly departed’ the airport before using her passport and cash to buy a ticket to the border.
Surveillance video showed Kobayashi crossing into Tijuana on foot between November 12 and 13, according to the police.
They have classified her as a ‘voluntary missing person’ and said they will not continue their search into Mexico.
The update comes days after Kobayashi’s anguished father tragically took his own life amid the search for his daughter.
The fundraiser has since been updated to cover costs for Ryan Kobayashi’s funeral, but the family have been criticized for continuing to ask for donations.
Donors to a GoFundMe set up to find ‘missing’ Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi are demanding refunds after it emerged she ‘voluntarily’ travelled to Mexico
‘Y’all I cannot believe that Hannah Kobayashi cross the border into Mexico a week and a half ago and officials in the family told no one,’ one person wrote on X.
‘They just let the GoFundMe run and let volunteers spend thousands of hours looking for her.’
‘Return the money to the people who have donated to this fundraiser,’ another added. ‘Police have already stated she is voluntarily missing. The organizers have withheld information from donors.’
‘Agree, resources need to go elsewhere now. I wonder if the GoFundMe is still up…’ one person wrote.
The fundraiser was set up on November 15 with a $50,000 goal. As of Tuesday, it was at 94 percent of the way there.
According to the GoFundMe, the money will be used for food and hydration for search teams, transportation, communication devices and technology, a media campaign, ‘temporary accommodations for essential personnel’ and on-site support for the family.
On November 26, the family updated the fundraiser to add funeral costs for Kobayashi’s father to its scope.
A spokesman for GoFundMe confirmed that the fundraiser remains within its terms of service at this time.
Kobayashi, 30, was caught on security camera footage disembarking a plane at LAX just before 10pm on November 8 but law enforcement say she is ‘voluntarily missing’
It comes weeks after Kobayashi left LAX and was seen at various locations in downtown Los Angeles over the following days.
On November 11, she went to Union Station and used her passport to buy a bus ticket to the border.
The next morning, she took the bus to San Ysidro, California, before crossing the border into Tijuana.
The LAPD said there is no evidence of human trafficking or foul play and noted that Kobayashi seemed to want a less complicated life.
‘The investigators noted that before departing Maui, Kobayashi expressed a desire to step away from modern connectivity,’ the police department said in a statement.
They are now classifying her disappearance as ‘voluntary’ in an attempt to respect ‘her right to privacy’.
‘The LAPD remains mindful of privacy concerns while ensuring all investigative actions are conducted within the bounds of legal and ethical standards,’ the statement added.
Police say they will not further their investigation of Kobayashi to Mexico but will be notified if she returns to America and they encourage her to contact police or the American Embassy in Mexico to ‘confirm her well being’.
Kobayashi’s father Ryan Kobayashi tragically took his own life amid the search for his daughter
Surveillance video showed Kobayashi crossing into Tijuana on foot between November 12 and 13, according to the police
Her family is yet to comment on the information indicating Kobayashi could have fled south for the Mexican border.
They had been fearing the worst after receiving cryptic messages from her which they claimed sounded like they had been written by someone else.
The Kobayashi family has repeatedly said she did not seem to be acting like her normal self – with her sister, Sydni, even suggesting that Hannah’s text messages ‘feel like someone was controlling her.’
A friend revealed that Kobayashi had text her to say she was undergoing a ‘spiritual awakening’ before she cut off communication.
But at a Board of Police Commissioners meeting on November 26, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said ‘the investigation determined that Hannah’s missed connection was intentional.’
Kobayashi’s sister revealed she has been forced to shut down the Facebook page she set up to help locate Kobayashi after receiving death threats.
‘Please continue to post everyday as much as we want to believe the police are doing their jobs the best they can, we need the public now more than ever to help bring Hannah home,’ Syndi wrote.
Her family has said she was acting suspiciously before and after her disappearance but have not responded to claims she fled to Mexico
Ryan spent nearly two weeks searching for his missing daughter before he took his own life
‘Act as if this were your own loved one. I’m trying best to stay as strong as I can for my son, my father who is now resting at peace, and our entire family.
‘We wholeheartedly appreciate all the love, light and support through these devastating times.’
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