Disappeared a year ago after declaring "I am a prophet" — now she has been found alive

Hanna Kobryzhnyk, a 38-year-old Ukrainian citizen, disappeared in the summer of 2025 during a trip in the USA. Her vehicle was found abandoned near the border with Mexico, and she left a letter with instructions for her belongings and videos in which she spoke about prophecies and punishment. More than a year later, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office announced that it made contact with her on August 7, 2026, and confirmed her identity. She is staying in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. The circumstances of her disappearance remain unclear.

Hanna Kobryzhnyk, a 38-year-old Ukrainian citizen who lived in Florida, set out in the summer of 2025 on a road trip from Florida to California. On July 5, her family last heard from her in the San Diego County area. A week later, she was reported missing. Her SUV and trailer were found abandoned on private property in Potrero, a small town in the eastern part of the county, not far from the border with Mexico. Shortly before her disappearance, she sent her mother a photo of a letter with GPS coordinates, which included instructions for transferring her personal belongings. Additionally, the day before she disappeared, she uploaded a video in which she recited verses from the Bible and spoke in apocalyptic terms, saying "There is no way to escape. The punishment is coming" and declaring "I am a prophet." For months, there was no information about her fate. On August 7, 2026, investigators from the San Diego County Sheriff's Office managed to make contact with her and confirm her identity. She is staying in the state of Sinaloa in western Mexico, hundreds of kilometers from where her belongings were found. Authorities did not disclose why she moved to Mexico, why she cut off contact, or what lay behind the messages she left. The Ukrainian embassy was updated on her location.