Father who flew from Hawaii to LAX to find missing daughter dies by suicide near airport

On By Pranco

LOS ANGELES – The father of a Hawaiian woman who flew to Los Angeles to look for her after she was reported missing has been found dead near Los Angeles International Airport.

The body of 58-year-old Ryan Kobayashi was found in a parking lot on Sunday, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Los Angeles Police Department officials said they responded to reports of a body in the 6100 block of Century Boulevard around 4 a.m. Sunday and discovered someone was dead of an apparent suicide.

Kobayashi was in Los Angeles looking for his daughter, Hannah Kobayashi, 30, who was last seen at LAX on Nov. 8 and last contacted her family by phone on Nov. 9, according to an LAPD news release.

Kobayashi’s family confirmed Ryan’s death in a statement Sunday, saying they “have endured a devastating tragedy.”

“After thirteen days of tireless searching throughout Los Angeles, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically committed suicide,” the statement said. “This loss has immeasurably increased the family’s suffering.”

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 immediate danger. It is critical that everyone remains vigilant in their efforts to locate Hannah.”

Kobayashi boarded a flight in Maui on Nov. 8 to New York City with a stop at LAX, but never made it to New York, her family told USA Today.

She landed at LAX but missed her next flight and appeared to visit the Grove mall instead, where she attended a Nike event on Nov. 10, her family told USA Today. The next day, Kobayashi apparently went back to LAX but did not board a flight. Later that day, she sent what her family called “strange” text messages.

LAPD spokesman Charles Miller confirmed that the department is investigating Kobayashi’s disappearance as an “active missing persons case” but declined to specify details about the investigation. No updates were available Monday morning.