(NewsNation) — Hannah Kobayashi is no longer a missing person, the Los Angeles Police Department announced Monday, but her sister said she doesn’t want to return to her family in Hawaii.
Kobayashi, whose disappearance led to a statewide search, returned to the United States on Sunday, bringing an end to the high-profile missing persons case.
Kobayashi disappeared in Los Angeles after arriving at LAX on a flight from Maui, Hawaii, on Nov. 8. It was later revealed she willingly traveled over the U.S.-Mexico border days after she arrived.
Customs and Border Protection notified police that Kobayashi presented herself on Dec. 15 for entry into the U.S. and appeared in good health.
She has since been removed from the Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
In a Facebook post, her sister Sydni Kobayashi confirmed she had spoken with Hannah on the phone and that she was safe in Mexico with their aunt Larie Pidgeon.
“We have only spoken to her over the phone, and she was allegedly found safe with Larie, but at this time, she does not wish to return to us,” Sydni Kobayashi wrote.
The search for Hannah Kobayashi
Kobayashi was reported missing after she didn’t board a connecting flight during her trip from Hawaii to New York. She was spotted in a few locations in Los Angeles before disappearing, sparking a search.
Family members were sent strange texts from her phone before she cut off contact.
She was seen in Los Angeles at the Grove Market and near the stadium where the Lakers play, accompanied by an unknown man. That man later spoke to police about his encounter with Kobayashi.
Kobayashi’s family initially feared she may have been trafficked. During the search, photos that appeared to show Kobayashi getting married also raised fears that she could have been a victim of a green card marriage scam.
While searching for her, Kobayashi’s father took his own life.
Police later announced that Kobayashi intentionally missed her flight and believed she had gone to Mexico of her own accord.
NewsNation’s Steph Whiteside and Rich McHugh contributed to this report.