Hannah Kobayashi‘s family says she was “found safe” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, about a month after she walked into Mexico and vanished in what police have called a voluntary disappearance that made headlines around the country — in large part because of her relatives’ insistence that something horrible may have happened.
“We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe,” her sister and mother, Sydni Kobayashi and Brandi Yee, said in a statement to PEOPLE through their attorney, Sara Azari.
“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 family continued.
“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,” Hannah’s sister and mother added.
Azari did not provide details about when, where or how Hannah made contact with her family and said there would be no further statements at this time.
Lt. Doug Oldfield, with the L.A. police’s missing persons unit, tells PEOPLE that authorities were separately notified by Azari that Hannah was located on Wednesday just “a few hours ago.”
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“We have not seen her and at this point we have no reason to compel her to see us,” Oldfield says.
Still, he notes, “It’s a big news story so she may decide to come with a lawyer, but she is not obligated to speak to us. We’ll see what happens next.”
He says the Hannah’s family did not share her current location and “we have not received notification that she’s had contact with CBP [Customs and Border Protection] or crossed back into the U.S.”k
“When she crosses back, she’ll show as a missing person,” Oldfield says. “We usually want law enforcement to determine a person is safe and make contact — in this case CBP could provide us with that info to take her out of the system.”
Hannah, a 30-year-old photographer living in Hawaii, had been reported missing on Nov. 11 after failing to make a connecting flight in Los Angeles bound for New York City.
In the weeks since then, Hannah’s relatives drew a national spotlight to her case and said they worried she was the victim of a kidnapping or human trafficking.
“We are terrified,” her Larie Pidgeon previously told PEOPLE. “We’re really afraid.”
Syndi, Hannah’s sister, echoed that in comments to NBC News: “I can’t stress enough how loved you are, how supported you are,” she said. “We’re really worried about you. No matter what situation you’re in, you always have a home to come to.”
As the family looked for Hannah, they faced another loss: Her dad, Ryan Kobayashi, died by suicide in L.A. on Nov. 24.
“He died of a broken heart,” Pidgeon said.
L.A. police have said they spent weeks untangling Hannah’s movements around the city between Nov. 8, when she arrived from Maui in Hawaii, and Nov. 11, when contact was lost.
A break in the case came on Dec. 1 when authorities reviewed video at the southern border showing Hannah, with a gray backpack and pink rolling suitcase, entering Tijuana alone and not under visible distress.
While that determination was challenged by Hannah’s family, who said they would launch their own search — “they don’t believe that there’s anything voluntary about this,” Azari told PEOPLE — investigators have stood by their work.
“To date, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play,” L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters at a news conference on Dec. 2. “She’s also not a suspect in any criminal activity.”
“We urge Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement or personnel at the U.S. Embassy to let us know that she is safe,” McDonnell said then.
“She has a right to her privacy and we respect her choices, but we also understand that the concern her loved ones feel for her. A simple message could reassure those who care about her.”
This is a breaking news story. Please return for updates.
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