A woman whose father took his own life after she went missing has been “found safe”, her family and police have said.

Hannah Kobayashi, 30, flew from Hawaii to Los Angeles early last month.

She was intending to take another flight to New York on 8 November but missed her connection.

The budding photographer from Maui vanished days later after sending “alarming” texts to her family.

Police subsequently revealed that video footage showed her walking into Mexico, 125 miles southeast of Los Angeles, on 12 November.

Her family had reported her missing the day before.

Her father, Ryan, flew out to Los Angeles to try to find her, searching with other family members and volunteers.

In late November, he was found dead in a car park near LA International Airport after taking his own life, police and his family said.

On Wednesday evening, Ms Kobayashi’s family released a statement saying she had been “found safe”.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) also said she had been located.

The family statement, signed Brandi Yee and Sydni Kobayashi, said: “We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe.

“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.

“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.”

The LAPD said it was “happy to learn” that Ms Kobayashi had been found.

“Now that we have this new information, this has become a private matter and we will wrap up our investigation,” it added.

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In early December, police issued a statement saying Ms Kobayashi had disappeared voluntarily.

Officers said she wanted to “step away from modern connectivity” and was last seen crossing into Mexico with her luggage.

Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell said there was no evidence she was trafficked or a victim of a crime and classified her disappearance as that of a “voluntary missing person”.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

Police say fingerprints of the man suspected of shooting dead a US health insurance boss match those found near the crime scene in New York, according to Sky News’ US partner NBC News.

Luigi Mangione has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, who was shot dead in Manhattan last week.

Dressed in an orange prison uniform, the 26-year-old appeared at Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday, where he decided to challenge his extradition to New York, triggering a legal process that could last weeks.

But as prosecutors seek to build a case against the alleged suspect, NBC News quoted an official close to the case who claimed investigators have found prints near the scene in New York that match Mangione’s own.

It isn’t clear where the prints were taken from.

Police said the suspect previously visited a Starbucks before the shooting, and then was seen on an e-bike cycling away from the scene.

Speaking recently, Mangione’s attorney Thomas Dickey said: “Listen, I haven’t seen any evidence that says he’s the shooter.

“I haven’t seen anything. I have not seen one scintilla, one speck, one drop of any evidence yet.”

NBC News also reported, citing two sources familiar with the ongoing investigation, that Mangione was carrying a notebook when found.

In it, he allegedly wrote: “What do you do? You wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.

“It’s targeted, precise, and doesn’t risk innocents.”

‘These parasites had it coming’

After a high-profile manhunt, Mangione was arrested after a tip off from a McDonald’s worker, and he was found with a gun, mask and writings, police said, that linked him to the ambush attack.

NBC News spoke to a customer who spotted Mangione in the restaurant in Altoona, around 230 miles (370km) west of New York.

The man, who only gave his name as Larry, said his friend told him “that looks like the shooter from New York”, adding that a backpack looked similar to one the suspect was carrying.

Larry added: “I thought it was one of the employees, because they go back here on break, and they put their hoods up, and he was in the corner with his hood up.”

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Mangione had three pages of writings on him at the time he was taken into custody, officials also told NBC News.

Those writings reportedly said “frankly these parasites had it coming” and “I wasn’t working with anyone” during broader criticism of the US healthcare industry and large corporations, including UnitedHealthcare.

Pennsylvania prosecutor Peter Weeks said Mangione, who gave officers a fake ID, was found with a passport and $10,000 (£7,840) in cash – $2,000 of it in foreign currency.

An Ivy League tech graduate, Mangione’s alleged actions have catapulted him to online notoriety, with Etsy and eBay among the websites selling T-shirts and other products referencing him.

Some on social media have expressed sympathy and support for Mangione.

Support for him appears to come from long-standing resentment over the US healthcare system and allegations that firms like UnitedHealthcare go to great lengths to avoid paying for treatments in order to maximise profits.

Etsy and eBay are among the websites selling T-shirts and other products referencing New York shooting suspect Luigi Mangione.

One design features his picture with the caption “Free Luigi, F*** the System”.

“Deny, defend, depose” – words reportedly written on the bullets that killed UnitedHealthcare boss and father-of-two Brian Thompson – appear on other listings, including mugs and stickers, while some use pictures from Mangione’s social media.

A stylised image of the suspect alongside “Free Luigi” features in one eBay listing available in the UK.

Online tools make it quick to do mock-ups of such designs and create listings – which are only printed when a sale is made, a booming system known as “print on demand”.

It’s unclear how many have actually been sold.

One seller told NBC News he planned to donate any proceeds he makes to a charity that assists people with paying their medical bills.

Mangione was charged with the insurance boss’s murder on Monday after being caught eating in a McDonald’s.

Some on social media have expressed sympathy and support for the suspect, viewing him as a “hero” and criticising those who alerted police.

Support for Mangione appears to come from resentment over the US healthcare system and accusations firms go to great lengths to avoid paying for treatments in order to maximise profits.

In a statement, an eBay representative said that “eBay policies do not prohibit the sale of items with the phrase ‘Deny. Defend. Depose,’ however, items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited”.

Etsy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Mangione, 26, tussled with police officers on Tuesday as they escorted him to court for an extradition hearing.

It’s emerged the suspect comes from a privileged background, and went to private school and a prestigious Ivy League university.

Brian Thompson, 50, was the boss of America’s biggest health insurer and a married father of two.

He was shot in Manhattan on 4 December by a gunman who shot him from behind.

Mr Thompson’s wife said he was an “incredibly loving father to our two sons” and a “loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest”.