The aunt of a missing Hawaii woman whose story has been shared across the country said that the woman's father, who committed suicide while trying to find his daughter in Los Angeles, actually "died of a broken heart."
Ryan Kobayashi, 58, was found dead on Sunday after his body was found near a parking garage in Los Angeles. Police believe he committed suicide, as reported by FOX 11.
"He just died of a broken heart," Larie Pidgeon, his daughter's aunt, told USA Today. "Being on the streets and seeing what the possibilities of where his daughter could be. No sleep. The speculating rumors that are going around. It just took a toll on him."
Pidgeon said that the possibility of suicide had not even been on the family's radar, and now they are struggling with another loss.
"We're hanging on by a thread and we just need the search to continue, because there's still hope for Hannah," she told USA Today.
The father had been searching for his daughter, 31-year-old Hannah Kobayashi, who went missing earlier this month. She was seen around the city after missing her fight on Nov. 8, but was last heard from on Nov. 11 after sending strange, worrying messages to her family, as reported by KTLA.
Hannah was last seen at LAX, but never boarded a flight. She was caught on camera near the Pico Metro station with an unidentified person.
"We believe that she just trusted the wrong person," Pidgeon told USA Today.
"The family of Hannah Kobayashi is urgently pleading with the public to maintain focus on the search for her. Hannah IS still actively missing and is believed to be in imminent danger. It is crucial for everyone to remain vigilant in their efforts to locate Hannah," the RAD Movement, a nonprofit that works with missing and exploited individuals and their families, said in a statement.
"What the family needs most in this difficult time is for all communities to rally around them with support, compassion, and prayers," the RAD Movement, who believes Hannah may be at risk for sex trafficking, continued.
Hannah is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds and has brown hair and eyes, and fair skin with freckles. Anyone who believes to have seen her is asked to contact 911 immediately.
A Gofundme has been set up to help cover the costs of volunteer search teams, as well as Ryan's memorial.
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