HANNAH Kobayashi vanished from Los Angeles to cross the Mexico border to dupe immigration officials, her friends have said.
The 30-year-old was on her way to New York from her home in Maui, Hawaii when she missed her connecting flight at LAX.
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A month after she went missing on November 11, Kobayashi’s family confirmed that she was safe and well.
Last week, the LAPD deemed her as “voluntarily” missing after they found surveillance footage of her crossing the border into Mexico alone with her luggage and passport.
This was refuted by the family who claimed that it was out of character and that they had received bizarre text messages from Kobayashi that raised concerns about her welfare.
Now, the Daily Mail has reported that the disappearance was part of a “love square” marriage plot to dupe the authorities.
Kobayashi was allegedly travelling to New York with her Green Card husband Alan Cacace from Argentina, the news outlet claimed.
Also onboard the flight to the Big Apple were Kobayashi’s ex-boyfriend Amun Miranda and his Green Card wife Marianne, Cacace’s ex-girlfriend.
Kobayashi and her ex-boyfriend had reportedly planned their “bucket list trip” to New York together months ago for what was meant to be just a vacation.
But it reportedly turned into a Green Card scam after they met Cacace and Marianne from Argentina when they arrived in Maui.
The group trip allegedly saw Cacace give Kobayashi $15,000 while promising to pay her the same amount again when immigration documents confirmed he could stay in the US.
The pair got married in October with pictures of the sham ceremony being shown to Kobayashi’s co-workers.
Her new husband allegedly thought that the couple needed some more convincing pictures for immigration officials.
Cacace reportedly decided that they should take some loved-up photographs at major sites in New York City such as in Central Park and in front of the Empire State Building.
Kobayashi’s colleague Desiree told the Daily Mail that it “was no secret” as “she told us about her plans.”
“The Argentinian couple wanted to hop on the trip at the last minute because it presented an opportunity for photos of their ‘romantic vacation,'” she claimed.
Hannah Kobayashi family statement
Hannah Kobayashi has been found a month after she flew to Los Angeles then vanished. Her family released a statement through their attorney on Wednesday, confirming she is safe.
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” they wrote.
“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through.
“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time.
“Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”
Arguing allegedly broke out between the group with Kobayashi reportedly not wanting to waste time taking photographs and ruin her itinerary.
There was a lot of friction between the two women, Kobayashi’s colleagues said.
“I do remember Hannah saying that the girlfriend had an issue with her,” Desiree told the Mail.
“And Hannah was like, ‘Girl, I’m not trying to steal your man. This is an arrangement we all talked about beforehand.'”
Days after she was reported missing by her family, Kobayashi’s friends started questioning the group to find out what happened to the New York Trip.
Desiree contacted Miranda who she knew from high school asking who Cacace and Marianne were and if they made it to New York.
She told Kobayashi’s ex-boyfriend that the situation “seems very sus” and told him that it was his job to tell her family when Kobayashi failed to get the connecting flight.
“She’s an adult and I’d heard she’d also possibly had plans in Cali,” he replied.
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“I have no reason to get off a plane and miss time on my own trip for something I thought was as simple as just missing one flight and catching the next available one.”
He added that he and Kobayashi had split up four months ago and “agreed to no contact” while also defending Cacace as suspicions among the friends turned to her Green Card husband.
“Her husband is sweet and just a lil guy and wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Miranda wrote.
“He has nothing to do with any of this.”
Kobayashi’s drug use was also mentioned in the conversation as her ex-boyfriend claimed: “It’s very possible [she is] having some kind of mental breakdown from lack of sleep, too much psychedelics or coke.”
It was this habit that contributed to her breakup with Miranda, a close family source told the news outlet.
After Kobayashi reached out to her family to confirm she was safe, they released a statement saying they were “relieved and grateful.”
“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through,” the statement read.
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“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”
Sara Azari, the family’s attorney, did not confirm where Kobayashi was found or why she traveled to Mexico and has not responded to a request for comment.
She told The U.S. Sun last week that the family is completely in the dark about any alleged marriage.
Despite Kobayashi being safe, the ordeal saw her father Ryan die by suicide in an LA parking garage on November 24 after he launched an extensive search for his daughter.
It is not known if she is aware of her father’s death.
Her family and co-workers are hoping to get more answers from Kobayashi as to exactly why she went to Mexico rather than to New York for her dream trip.
LA investigators have said it is unlikely they will receive any answers as they have “no reason to compel her to see us,” Lt. Doug Oldfield of the LAPD’s missing persons unit previously told People.
“It’s a big news story, so she may decide to come with a lawyer, but she is not obligated to speak to us.”
The disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi
HANNAH Kobayashi sparked a massive search after missing a flight to New York during a layover in Los Angeles. Here is a timeline of events in the case.
Friday, November 8:Â Hannah leaves her home in Maui and arrives in Los Angeles for a connecting flight to New York City. She has 42 minutes to make the flight at 11 pm.
Saturday, November 9:Â Hannah is meant to land at JFK airport in New York City at 7 am but never arrives. She is seen at a bookshop at The Grove, an hour from the Los Angeles airport.
Sunday, November 10:Â Hannah sends a message saying she’s scared and worried about someone trying to steal her money and identity, alongside several other cryptic texts. She’s later seen at a Nike event at The Grove in Los Angeles.
Monday, November 11:Â Hannah’s phone data puts her back at LAX. She posts a picture on her Instagram account from the Nike event. Her phone is then turned off.
Tuesday, November 12: Unbeknownst to her family, Hannah catches a bus from Union Station down to San Ysidro, San Diego, and crosses the border into Tijuana, Mexico.
Wednesday, November 13:Â Family files missing person’s report and flies to LA to search for her. They are informed she was last seen at Pico Station in Downtown Los Angeles with an unidentified male.
Sunday, November 24:Â After scouring LA’s Skid Row and other areas for nearly a week, Hannah’s dad Ryan takes his own life and is found dead in a Los Angeles parking lot.
Monday, December 2: Cops announce Hannah was spotted in surveillance footage crossing into Mexico from the US on November 12 and say she wanted to step away from modern connectivity. The investigation is paused.
Tuesday, December 3: Hannah’s family vows to keep looking for her in a statement released by their attorney.
Wednesday, December 11: The attorney of the Kobayashi family announced Hannah was located safe.
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