Father of missing Hawaii woman dies in apparent suicide

Ryan Kobayashi, the father of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi, was found dead early Sunday in an apparent suicide near LAX, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Kobayashi reportedly jumped off from a parking structure near the airport at around 4 a.m. The 58-year-old had been in Los Angeles for 13 days searching for his daughter, who disappeared after missing a connecting flight at LAX on Nov. 8.

Family members described receiving “strange” text messages from Hannah on Nov. 11 about someone trying to steal her identity, after which all calls went unanswered. Surveillance footage later showed her at a Metro station on Nov. 18, wearing black leggings, a tie-dye sweatshirt and a green backpack.

In a statement, the Kobayashi family expressed profound grief over Ryan’s death, calling him “the family’s pillar,” while urging the public to remain focused on finding Hannah, who is believed to be in imminent danger. Anyone with information about Hannah’s whereabouts is urged to call 911 and obtain photographs.