The disappearance of Hannah Kobayashi was the kind of story that stopped everyone in their tracks. It had all the elements of a prestige TV thriller: a missed flight at LAX, cryptic text messages about a "matrix," a tragic death, and a sudden crossing into Mexico. But once the dust settled and Hannah was found safe in December 2024, the public focus shifted toward the people in her orbit. Specifically, everyone started asking about the Hannah Kobayashi ex-boyfriend and what role, if any, he played in the chaos.
People want simple answers. They want a villain or a mastermind. Honestly, though, the reality is a messy web of non-refundable tickets, a weird "green card" marriage rumor, and a guy named Amun Muniz-Miranda.
Who Exactly is the Hannah Kobayashi Ex-Boyfriend?
For the first few weeks of the search, the media just referred to him as an "unnamed ex." We knew they had planned a "bucket list" trip to New York City together before they broke up. Because the tickets were non-refundable, they decided to just go anyway and part ways once they landed at JFK. It sounds like a recipe for a very awkward six-hour flight, doesn't it?
The ex-boyfriend was later identified as Amun Muniz-Miranda.
Unlike Hannah, who intentionally stayed behind at LAX on November 8, 2024, Muniz-Miranda actually boarded the connecting flight. He made it to New York. While the Kobayashi family was frantic, he was reportedly cooperating with the LAPD and the FBI. But as more details leaked, his past started looking a bit complicated.
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Muniz-Miranda wasn't just some random ex. He had a criminal history that included a 2021 arrest in Texas for falsifying his identity and a 2020 DUI in Maui. Sources close to the situation, including a former co-worker of Hannah's, suggested he was the one who introduced her to "get-rich-quick" schemes and "alternative lifestyles."
The Marriage Fraud Rumors and the Love Triangle
Things got weird when a third name entered the chat: Alan Cacace.
Reports surfaced—largely fueled by information found by Hannah’s mother in her Hawaii home—that Hannah had "secretly married" Cacace, an Argentine national. The theory? It was a sham marriage intended to get Cacace a green card for about $15,000.
Here is where the Hannah Kobayashi ex-boyfriend comes back into the spotlight.
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Sources told the New York Post that Muniz-Miranda might have been the "orchestrator" of this whole deal. Some even alleged he was jealous of the arrangement, even though he was the one who supposedly set it up. There’s a rumor that Muniz-Miranda was actually in a relationship with Cacace’s girlfriend. It’s the kind of drama that sounds exhausting just to talk about.
One of the most alarming things Hannah texted a friend before she went dark was: "I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds for someone I thought I loved." Was she talking about Muniz-Miranda? Most people think so. If he was the one pushing these "schemes," it’s possible she felt manipulated into a situation that eventually blew up in her face.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Search
While everyone was looking for a kidnapper, the LAPD eventually dropped a bombshell: Hannah was a "voluntary missing person." Surveillance footage showed her crossing the border into Tijuana, Mexico, on foot. She had her luggage. She looked fine.
She wasn't being trafficked. She wasn't being held against her will.
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She told the police she wanted to "disconnect from modern connectivity." While her family—especially her aunt Larie Pidgeon—disputed this for weeks, the evidence was hard to ignore. Hannah eventually resurfaced, returned to the U.S. in mid-December 2024, and asked for privacy.
The tragedy here isn't a crime; it's the collateral damage. Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, took his own life in a Los Angeles parking garage while searching for her. It’s a gut-wrenching detail that makes the "voluntary" part of her disappearance so much harder for the public to swallow.
Why the Ex-Boyfriend Still Matters in 2026
Even though Hannah is safe and has been focusing on her "healing and creativity," the legal ripples haven't totally vanished. Marriage fraud is a federal crime. If the FBI actually finds proof that the Hannah Kobayashi ex-boyfriend or Alan Cacace were part of a green card scam, that doesn't just go away because Hannah came home.
The LAPD has called it a "private matter" now, but federal investigators usually have a longer memory.
Key Takeaways from the Investigation:
- The Flight: Muniz-Miranda and Hannah traveled together to LAX, but only he continued to NYC.
- The Texts: Hannah’s cryptic messages about being "tricked" suggested financial exploitation.
- The Marriage: While the family initially denied it, immigration documents found in Hannah's room pointed to a possible sham marriage with Alan Cacace.
- The Ex’s Role: Muniz-Miranda remains a person of interest in the scam aspect of the story, though not in any kidnapping.
The story of the Hannah Kobayashi ex-boyfriend is a reminder that sometimes the person you’re traveling with isn't the person you should be trusting. Relationships are complicated, but when they involve "get-rich-quick" schemes and falsified identities, they usually end in a way that no one—especially not a grieving family—is prepared for.
If you’re following this case for the legal outcome, the next step is to keep an eye on federal court filings regarding marriage fraud in the Hawaii or California districts. While the "missing person" case is closed, the "scam" investigation is where the real answers about Amun Muniz-Miranda likely reside.