“It’s every parent’s nightmare,” the 58-year-old had previously told NBC4. “We don’t know where to start, where to begin. It’s like a grain of sand in the ocean.”
However, on Nov. 26, the scope of the investigation began to shift when police announced during a press conference that they determined she had intentionally missed her plane to New York.
Then, during a Dec. 2 press conference, LAPD Chief of Police Jim McDonnell declared Kobayashi to be a “voluntary missing person” after video evidence showed her taking public transportation to California’s southern border and then voluntarily entering Mexico.
“To date, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play,” he added. “She is also not a suspect in any criminal activity.”
Special enforcement officer Douglas Oldfield noted during the conference that Kobayashi “appeared fine” and “was with nobody else” when entering the country.
