The former boyfriend of missing Hawaii photographer Hannah Kobayashi was “jealous” of her alleged fake husband, a source has told New York Post. Hannah was reportedly travelling to New York with her ex, Amun Muniz-Miranda, and Alan Cacace, the Argentine national she had allegedly secretly married.
Hannah, 30, disappeared while heading to New York City after missing a connecting flight to New York and being stranded in Los Angeles. She was later caught on camera crossing into Mexico, and has now been declared a voluntary missing person by police.
The FBI is now looking at Hannah’s case as a potential green card visa scheme gone wrong. She did not tell her family she got married, but later claimed in a text that she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds” and was hoodwinked by “someone I thought I loved.”
A source who worked with Hannah in Haiku, Hawaii, told the outlet, “My other co-worker knew but she kept it on the down-low — that’s what Hannah wanted — but now it’s out there for everyone. Maybe [Muniz-Miranda] got jealous of Hannah and Alan.”
Another close friend of Hannah also confirmed that the missing woman had married Cacace. However, they said they do not believe the pair was romantically involved.
Who is Amun Muniz-Miranda?
According to Los Angeles magazine, Hannah’s mother found out that her daughter had been in touch with an immigration lawyer after she went missing. The mother reportedly handed over documents to the police and FBI. Muniz-Miranda may have been involved in setting up the marriage scheme, the magazine reported. As per reports, he is cooperating with authorities.
Muniz-Miranda was reportedly arrested in Texas in 2021 for falsifying his identity to cops. Back in 2020, he was also arrested in Haiku for a DUI. A clerk at Ellis County Court in Texas said that his case for lying about his identity is still active. However, he did not show up for an arraignment in 2021.
Sources close to Hannah said they had been suspicious of Muniz-Miranda’s actions. “He [Muniz-Miranda] was the guy to introduce Hannah to this other lifestyle – finding other sources of income,” like get-rich-quick schemes, the co-worker said.
Meanwhile, Sara Azari, the Kobayashi family’s lawyer, noted that no concrete proof has been found of the alleged marriage between her and Cacace. “We do not have legal, factual corroboration. We don’t have any confirmation. She had never told her family that she was married,” Azari said.
Sources in Hawaii told New York Post that there is a sizable Argentinian community in Haiku. Cacace, who is believed to have been on the island for some years, is rumored to have a girlfriend.
The co-worker said that Hannah was excited about her New York trip and had a “normal week” at work before leaving. “Something had to have happened on the flight – that doesn’t seem like Hannah at all. She plans everything,” the co-worker said. “Hannah is the last person I thought something like this would happen to. She has a good head on her shoulders.”
Meanwhile, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, 58, reportedly jumped to his death amid the search for his daughter. He had travelled to Los Angeles along with other family members to help in the search.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).