LOS ANGELES (TNND) -- The 30-year-old woman from Hawaii who was reported missing by her family last month said she had no idea about the media buzz surrounding the case, according to PEOPLE.
In a statement provided to the media outlet, Hannah Kobayashi said she was "unaware" of the widespread reports. She also requested privacy.
"I was unaware of everything that was happening in the media while I was away, and I am still processing it all," Kobayashi said in the statement. "I kindly ask for respect for myself, my family, and my loved ones as I navigate through this challenging time. Thank you for your understanding.
Kobayashi's aunt, Larie Pidgeon, released the statement on behalf of her niece, PEOPLE noted. She also said she is back in the U.S., noting that she crossed the border from Mexico on Sunday.
"My focus now is on my healing, my peace and my creativity. I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time," she added.
The Los Angeles Police Department on Wednesday said Kobayashi was found unharmed.
Her loved ones later disabled donations on a GoFundMe account that was created to help pay for resources volunteers apparently needed as they looked for her. Her family also said they will give the money back.
"We are turning donations off, and any donor who would like a refund can submit a claim by December 18th, and it will be honored," Hannah's sister, Sydni Kobayashi, wrote in an update on the family's fundraising account.
Kobayashi's disappearance recently prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation in Los Angeles.
Kobayashi, according to police, deliberately went off the grid last month, with police describing it as "a voluntary disappearance."
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell previously said investigators determined Kobayashi purposely failed to board a connecting flight to New York at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Nov. 8. He said they learned she later went to Mexico willingly, citing video evidence.
McDonnell said investigators declared her a voluntary missing person after surveillance footage showed her traveling across the border. McDonnell added that Kobayashi, who lives in Maui, "expressed the desire to step away from modern connectivity."
Kobayashi's father, Ryan, was found dead at LAX from an apparent suicide amid the search. His body was discovered in a car outside the airport just two weeks after his daughter was reported missing, authorities said.
In online records, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office said his cause of death, was "multiple blunt force traumatic injuries." Loved ones said they are "all heartbroken and at a loss for words."
Police, meanwhile, said they are working to conclude the investigation now that Kobayashi was found.
"Now that we have this new information, this has become a private matter and we will wrap up our investigation," the department said.
Rumors have swirled around the case, with a report indicating Kobayashi was allegedly involved in a "green card visa scheme gone wrong."
According to The New York Post, "Kobayashi didn't tell her family she was married" and later claimed she was tricked into giving away most of her money by someone she thought she loved.
In a statement posted on social media through their attorney, Kobayashi's family said they are "incredibly relieved and grateful" she is safe. They also thanked the public, as well as urged everyone to give them privacy.