After ‘Voluntary’ Disappearance, Hannah Kobayashi’s Family Plans to Search for Her in Mexico: ‘They Deserve Closure’

In the wake of police determining that missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi had actually crossed into Tijuana, Mexico, last month, her family says their next steps are clear.

“They have to take matters in their own hands, which is why I stepped in,” says attorney Sara Azari, who is working with Kobayashi’s mother, Brandi Yee , and sister, Sydni Kobayashi.

“The search is not over,” Azari says.

She spoke with PEOPLE on Wednesday, Dec. 4, two days after Los Angeles police announced that they had reviewed video showing the 30-year-old Hannah walking into Tijuana. “She was alone with her luggage and appeared unharmed,” Police Chief Jim McDonnell said.

Hannah’s case has been classified as a voluntary missing person, he said, and it “will remain active in the missing and unidentified person’s system until her safety is confirmed by law enforcement.”

She had initially appeared to vanish from the L.A. airport in mid-November after arriving there from Maui — and then failing to board a flight to New York.

Police say they still don’t know why, though they have confirmed she spent several days in the L.A. area, including waiting to retrieve her luggage from New York, before heading to Mexico.

“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,” Police Chief McDonnell told reporters on Monday, Dec. 2. “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.”

Speaking with PEOPLE, Azari, the Kobayashi family attorney, says they won’t be waiting to hear from Hannah.

“I plan on getting people involved both through the State Department and in Mexico,” Azari says. “This, obviously, has to be escalated, because the last thing we know according to LAPD is that she was in Tijuana and Baja [California, a Mexican state].”

“God knows if she’s still there, if she’s still safe, because a lot of time has passed,” Azari continues. “But at least we need to start there — unless and until we get leads that she might be somewhere else.”

As for specifics, Azari says, the “first step” is to “get Mexican media involved” in order to raise public awareness.

From there, “whether we’re going to get volunteers or some sort of a bounty hunter or something, a combination thereof, I’m not sure,” Azari says.

Hannah’s relatives will rely on online fundraising, according to Azari, who encouraged concerned members of the public to still donate if they want: “This family has been more than above board with their intentions, with their expenses. Everything’s backed up with receipts.”

“This is a very, very odd situation, and they [Hannah’s family] deserve answers and they deserve closure,” Azari says.

As for how Hannah’s mother and sister are feeling, Azari says they’re “shocked” and “distressed” — and have their issues with the police investigation.

“They’re pretty shocked at the LAPD conclusion that she’s voluntarily missing. They don’t agree with that at all,” Azari says.

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“They don’t believe that there’s anything voluntary about this, because … Hannah doesn’t have any drug addiction, mental illness,” Azari says.

“There was no distress, there was no argument, there was no animosity,” she says, adding, “None of this makes sense.”

“The family obviously knows her very well, so they’ve confirmed to me over and over again that her behavior in all of this is extremely suspect,” Azari says. “And it’s almost like she’s influenced by someone.”

“They never imagined that she [Hannah] would not be on U.S. soil,” she says.

Though Azari notes Hannah’s mom and sister are “appreciative of law enforcement … I don’t think [authorities] were as diligent as they should be.”

In addition to pushing back on the view that Hannah voluntarily left the country, Azari questioned investigators saying that Hannah had previously talked of wanting to “disconnect.”

“She’s never disconnected from her family and just ran off,” Azari insists.

Police were asked to comment on the family’s criticism during their news conference on Monday.

“We’ve really left no stone unturned,” said Alan Hamilton, the chief of detectives, “and it’s led us to this conclusion.”

He stressed that “we have no information that she’s working with anyone else,” while McDonnell said that “at this point, we have not been able to determine any crime has been committed.”

“To date, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play,” the police chief said. “She’s also not a suspect in any criminal activity.”

As Hannah’s family focuses on Mexico, Azari says that serious concerns remain: “Somehow that makes it just because she’s alive that she’s safe.”