Hawaii
Family of missing Hawaii woman demand surveillance video of her crossing into Mexico
Nearly a month after a woman from Hawaii went missing after arriving at LAX, the family is demanding to see the surveillance footage of her crossing the border into Mexico.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Hannah Kobayashi entered Mexico voluntarily and there are no signs of foul play.
“Now that she’s there, it feels like they’re kind of washing their hands clean of the situation,” Sydni Kobayashi, Hannah’s sister, said.
“For them to tell us that they have been keeping us informed throughout the entire time, that’s absolutely inaccurate.”
However, the family said they are upset that the LAPD has classified the case as a voluntary missing persons case and they are asking for police to release surveillance video of Kobayashi crossing the border.
The family has since hired their own private investigator and attorney, saying that they still believe she is in danger.
The Los Angeles Police Department believes the Hawaii woman missing after arriving at LAX may have intentionally missed her flight. This video was broadcast on the NBC4 News at 5 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2024.
Her family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages after she did not board a flight to New York City at LAX. Kobayashi crossed into Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing Nov. 12, according to authorities.
On Monday evening, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters Kobayashi appeared unharmed and that authorities have found no evidence she was being trafficked or the victim of a crime. Kobayashi was declared a “voluntary missing person” after the surveillance video review.
Kobayahi’s father was among those who joined the search for her in Los Angeles. On Nov. 24, he was found dead Nov. 24 in a parking lot near LA International Airport, according to the county medical examiner. Kobayashi’s family confirmed Ryan Kobayashi’s death and said he died by suicide.
Gov. Josh Green today issued a statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Green.
“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Eric Ryan, an Oʻahu resident who is not Native Hawaiian and tried to apply for a lease, but was denied due to the 50% Native Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, according to Hawaiʻi News Now and court documents published at Courthouse News Service.
The Class Action Complaint argues that the “explicitly ancestry-based requirement” establishes a “permanent government mandate for state officials to engage in outright racial discrimination, perpetuates stereotypes, and limits housing opportunities for most Hawai‘i residents. The blood-quantum requirement thus violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the complaint alleges.
Green said the administration “stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”
Attorney General Anne Lopez also issued a statement saying the state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Lopez.
Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead the legal team in defending the state against the challenge.
“We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents,” said Lopez.
Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries.
“These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” according to the governor’s announcement.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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