West
Family of woman who went missing on cross-country vacation says cryptic texts sent from phone unlike her
Hannah Kobayashi’s family has gathered in Los Angeles to retrace the missing photographer’s steps after she missed her transfer flight to New York then disappeared after a series of cryptic messages and a brief appearance with an unknown man on surveillance footage near Skid Row.
The 31-year-old Oahu, Hawaii, resident had planned a vacation to see her aunt in New York City and flew from Maui to Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 8, her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, told Fox News Digital. She was elated about her first music photography gig in the city, had an involved trip itinerary and had paid thousands for her hotel room, Pidgeon said.
Kobayashi was scheduled to take a connecting flight to New York, with a 40-minute layover at 11 a.m., and planned to go to a show with her aunt, but she never got on that flight. Her family is unsure why.
Then friends and family received a flurry of bizarre text messages that didn’t match the young woman’s usual cadence. She texted a friend that she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds” and that she was tricked “for someone I thought I loved.”
HAWAII WOMAN’S CRYPTIC TEXT MESSAGES PROMPT CONCERN AFTER DISAPPEARANCE
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, was last seen on surveillance footage from the Pico Metro station with an unknown man on Nov. 11. She never boarded her flight from LAX to JFK on Nov. 8. (Larie Pidgeon)
“There was not a single emoji. She’s an artist. … Instead of a … question mark, she would put a crystal ball – she’s just that cute – and there was none of that,” Pidgeon said on Thursday. “She said that someone was trying to steal her funds, not cash, not money, funds. Like, who uses that word?”
“She [wrote she] was having a spiritual awakening, that she was concerned about the matrix. It was just the most bizarre text messages. And it went from, ‘Hi, I can’t wait to see you guys. Love you. Everything’s great.’”
Before sending the messages, Kobayashi was seen talking to a ticketing agent and trying to get a direct flight to New York rather than waiting on standby, Pidgeon said.
Hannah Kobayashi is pictured on surveillance footage from LAX on Nov. 8. Her family says there is also surveillance footage from Nov. 11 showing her with an unknown man at the Pico Metro Station in downtown Los Angeles but that it has yet to be released to the public. (Missing People of America/Facebook)
Kobayashi’s mother reported her missing on Nov. 11, Pidgeon said, the day that communications from the woman’s phone to family and friends halted. Through their own investigative work, the family viewed surveillance footage of Kobayashi from that day with an unknown man near the Pico Metro station in downtown L.A.
“The Pico station is in a very bad neighborhood, [and] it was late at night,” Pidgeon said. “That causes us even more alarm because it’s not a place that Hannah would go. There’s no reason that she would go to a neighborhood of crime. Even if she said, ‘Hey, I need to go get a hotel room because I’m tired,’ there’s 18 hotels by the airport … she would have to have two transfer stations to get to this station.”
MOM 9 MONTHS PREGNANT MISSING FOR A MONTH, LAST SEEN AT BOYFRIEND’S HOUSE, FAMILY SAYS
Hannah Kobayashi’s family traveled to Los Angeles to distribute fliers near where she was last seen. (Larie Pidgeon)
“We can’t release the footage; we would love to get it released to the public by the LAPD,” Pidgeon said on Thursday. “We’ve seen it, we know that it’s out there, and we’re like, ‘Why is it not getting released?’ At this point it’s been 10 days, I feel like it could help so much in the investigation.”
Pidgeon said Thursday morning that the Los Angeles Police Department had yet to reach out since the family filed a missing persons report. Several hours later, Kobayashi’s family said that a detective had spoken to them.
The LAPD said on Thursday morning that it could not confirm whether they had viewed the surveillance footage or contacted the family, only that Kobayashi had been reported missing and that they had distributed a flier on their social media accounts.
Kobayashi also charged her phone with an employee within The Grove outdoor open-air mall and had filled out an application for a book club at the TASCHEN book store using her Hawaii address on Nov. 11, her aunt said. Witnesses there told the family that Kobayashi “was in good spirits” and said that “she had a little bit of time to explore in L.A.,” Pidgeon said.
SUZANNE SIMPSON’S HOME MAY BE SOLD AS MISSING REALTOR HUSBAND REMAINS BEHIND BARS IN MURDER CASE
Kobayashi sent mysterious texts to friends and family before losing contact entirely, writing that she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all [her] funds.” (Larie Pidgeon)
“Every confirmed sighting that she has with an individual, she’s of sound mind,” Pidgeon said of her conversations with those who last spoke to her niece. “She’s happy, she’s kind. She doesn’t appear [to be] drunk or on any substances. … That is why we are here handing out fliers and flying in, because it is so unlike our character.”
Kobayashi’s family held a rally on Thursday at the Crypto.com Arena to hand out fliers and search the area near where she was last seen.
“We’re just running,” Pidgeon said. “You know, we’re just going down and up and down Skid Row.”
Pidgeon described her niece, pictured, as an outgoing person who makes those around her laugh and dabbles in fire spinning, DJing and charity work. (Larie Pidgeon)
“We want to do as many interviews as we can. The longer that we keep her name out there, the longer that she’s on the news, the better chance that her family has to get her back,” Pidgeon said. “I’ve become a press secretary, a journalist, a photographer. This is how much we love her.”
Pidgeon said the 31-year-old “does everything” and dabbles in fire spinning, DJing and charity work.
“She’s a pivotal person in her community, she’s a wonderful person, a great daughter, she makes everyone laugh,” Pidgeon said. “If I’m having a problem at 2 a.m., I can call Hannah because she’ll pick up.”
Hannah Kobayashi, 31, was heading to New York City to visit family. (Hannah Kobayashi via Instagram)
Friends and family have been making minute-long videos sharing memories of Kobayashi to distribute under the hashtag “#FindHannah.” Thus far, Pidgeon said, about 30 people have sent videos, a testament to “how incredible she is.”
“I’m just grateful for all the other best wishes and support from the community and Hawaii, New York, California, everywhere,” Kobayashi’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, told Fox News Digital. “You know, it’s just amazing. We miss you, Hannah. We love you.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the RAD Movement hotline at 619-904-0840.
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San Francisco, CA
Where to watch San Francisco Giants vs Athletics : TV channel, start time, streaming for May 17
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We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Sunday as the San Francisco Giants visit the Athletics .
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is San Francisco Giants vs Athletics ?
First pitch between the Athletics and San Francisco Giants is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 17.
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All times Eastern and accurate as of Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 6:32 a.m.
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Denver, CO
Match Report: Orlando Pride drops 3-1 decision to Denver Summit FC | Orlando Pride
DENVER, Colo. (May 16, 2026) – The Orlando Pride (3-5-2, 11 points) were defeated by Denver Summit FC (3-3-3, 12 points) via a 3-1 scoreline in the Club’s first-ever visit to DICK’S Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night.
Denver opened the scoring early when Eva Gaetino crashed in at the far post to finish off a corner kick in the 10th minute of play. The home side doubled its advantage in the 54th minute via a Janine Sonis penalty kick.
Orlando was reduced to 10 players in the 63rd minute after Angelina received a direct red card. Despite their numerical advantage, the visitors pulled a goal back in the 76th minute when Barbra Banda broke through on goal from Haley McCutcheon’s pass and slotted home her league-leading ninth goal of the season.
The Summit responded just a minute later as Sonis tallied her second of the night after capitalizing on a rebound inside the Pride’s box, effectively putting the game out of reach.
The Pride will complete their three-game road trip with a visit to San Diego Wave FC at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, May 24 (7 p.m. ET; Victory+).
Head Coach Seb Hines:
“Frustrating. I sound like a broken record right now. Disappointed with the goal that we conceded, a set piece. We struggled with the way Denver were playing out from the back, playing through the lines. We made some good adjustments at halftime. I thought we started the second half really well. The sending off changes the whole game, but I won’t talk about that. And yeah, we were just battling until the end. There were obviously some gaps that started opening. We put ourselves in a really good position at 2-1 with a lot of time left and then let ourselves down with the third goal. We’ll analyze it and move on. We’ve been on the road now for about a week. It’s not gone our way—we’ve got to bounce back, show some resilience and come out stronger against San Diego.”
The Pride will complete their three-game road trip with a visit to San Diego Wave FC at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, May 24 (7 p.m. ET; Victory+).
Seattle, WA
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