Hannah Kobayashi has spoken for the first time after going 'missing' in November.
Hannah Kobayashi has spoken for the first time after going 'missing' in November.
‘Missing’ US tourist sparked an international manhunt when she failed to board a connecting flight before running away to Mexico following an alleged ‘love square’ Green Card scam. Now she has broken her silence weeks after her father took his own life over her disappearance.
Hannah Kobayashi has spoken publicly for the first time following her disappearance, claiming she was unaware of her father’s tragic suicide just weeks after she vanished following a string of bizarre text messages from her phone.
The 30-year-old went missing after boarding a flight to Los Angeles on November 8 before alarming messages were sent from her phone days later.
After weeks of radio silence, her father Ryan Kobayashi travelled to Los Angeles to look for her before taking his own life on November 24 near Los Angeles Airport, authorities and relatives said.
Investigators revealed security footage from the Mexican border near Tijuana that showed Kobayashi at the border on November 12, just days after she failed to board her flight from Los Angeles to New York.
But it was discovered she was never on a flight from Maui to Los Angeles alone. Instead, she was on her way to New York with her Argentinian-native husband Alan Cacace as part of a Green Card immigration scam.
Now Hannah has broken her silence.
Hannah Kobayashi was last confirmed to have been at LAX Airport on Monday, November 11.
Hannah Kobayashi speaks
In a statement to NBC News, the 30-year-old said she wasn’t aware of her father’s suicide.
“I was unaware of everything that was happening in the media while I was away, and I am still processing it all.”
The statement, which was issued in a letter through her aunt Larie Pidgeon, continued: “My focus now is on my healing, my peace and my creativity.
“I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time.”
It has also been revealed that Hannah returned to the US last weekend.
Hannah Kobayashi’s movements, alleged scam
The Daily Mail reported that Hannah was part of a Green Card immigration scam with her Argentinian-native husband. The pair boarded a flight together as part of a plan to con immigration officials into believing their marriage was genuine.
It is claimed Hannah’s ex-boyfriend Amun Miranda was on the same flight with his Green Card wife Marianne, who is also Alan Cacace’s girlfriend.
Originally, Hannah and her ex planned their “bucket list trip” to New York together months ago for a vacation.
Amun Muniz Miranda, Hannah Kobayashi's ex, was involved in the alleged Green Card scam.
But that soon changed into a Green Card scam after meeting Argentinian couple Cacace and Marianne in Maui.
Hannah was allegedly given $15,000 from Cacace for her assistance, and a further $15,000 was promised once the immigration documents confirmed he could stay in the US.
It is claimed Hannah and Cacace got “married” in October, with photos of the sham ceremony taken to show her co-workers
Worried authorities would catch on, Cacace allegedly thought the couple needed to take more convincing images for immigration officials so planned to head to New York to take loved-up photos in front of landmarks.
It is claimed Hannah wasn’t happy with this and didn’t want the Argentinian couple on the trip.
“I do remember Hannah saying that the girlfriend had an issue with her,” her colleague Desiree told the Daily Mail.
“And Hannah was like, ‘Girl, I’m not trying to steal your man. This is an arrangement we all talked about beforehand.’”
Hannah Kobayashi allegedly planned to fly to New York with her alleged fake husband Alan Cacace to create proof to convince immigration officials that their marriage was real in a bid to get him a Green Card.
In a press conference, police said she had crossed into Mexico alone on November 12 and did not suspect any foul play in her disappearance and movements.
After the Mexican border footage was made public, Los Angeles police said they believed she intentionally missed her flight to New York and made an “intentional decision to disconnect”, despite her family’s emphatic denials she would ever do that.
