PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic– Authorities in the Dominican Republic have actually taken the key of Joshua Riibe, the male seen with University of Pittsburgh pupil Sudiksha Konanki prior to she went missing out on, Fox News has actually found out.
Riibe’s lawyers stated Saturday that Riibe’s traveling record was taken by authorities “several days ago.” He has actually not been called a suspect in the 20-year-old pupil’s loss, yet authorities have actually stated he is a “person of interest” in the issue, which they think about a missing out on individual instance.
“It was confiscated by authorities when he tried to check out several days ago, when the investigation began,” legal representatives from Guzm án Ariza, a Dominican Republican law practice, stated. “He hasn’t had access to it since then.”
Though Riibe, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, and an elderly atSt Cloud State University in Minnesota, has actually not been charged of any kind of criminal offense, the 22-year-old has actually been extremely inspected given that Konanki’s loss March 6. A resource near to the examination informed Fox News Digital Friday that Riibe, the just openly well-known eyewitness, is thought about a “key element in the investigation.”
ESSENTIAL WITNESS IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT’S LOSS INFORMS COPS HOW THEY MET, WHAT TOOK PLACE ON COASTLINE
united state university student Sudiksha Konanki went missing out on while vacationing with her buddies in Punta Cana March 6, 2025. (Fox News Graphics)
Konanki, of Loudon County, Virginia, was remaining at the Riu Rep ública Hotel in Punta Cana with 5 other Pitt trainees prior to she disappeared. She was last seen on monitoring electronic camera video footage getting in a coastline with 5 other individuals after 4:15 a.m. March 6.
All team participants other than Konanki returned around 6 a.m. The 20-year-old remained on the coastline withRiibe
On Wednesday, Riibe finished an almost four-hour meeting with investigatives, answering over 50 inquiries regarding the occasions leading up to Konanki’s loss.
MISSING OUT ON AMERICAN IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: NO SUSPECTS AS LOOK FOR SUDIKSHA KONANKI GETS TO ONE WEEK
Riibe’s moms and dads, Albert and Tina Riibe, have actually knocked the examination of their kid, stating he has “been detained under irregular conditions and subjected to extensive questioning without the presence of official translators or legal counsel until Wednesday, March 12.”
“He has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6, where he has been interrogated for long hours,” the declaration, shared with the Riibes’ lawyers, stated. “This situation has raised serious concern within his family, which has led us to retain legal counsel to initiate legal actions ensuring his safety and the protection of his rights throughout this process.”
Riibe has actually apparently informed differing tales regarding Konanki’s loss to authorities. According to local outlet Noticias SIN, Riibe informed authorities he went swimming with Konanki yet left after dropping ill from the waves, leaving Konanki in the water.
Sudiksha Konanki shows up in an undated image on her TikTok account. She was last seen March 6 at a hotel coastline in Punta Cana. ( @sudikshakonanki/ TikTok)
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In a 2nd variation of the tale, he apparently stated that he left Konanki in knee-deep water prior to he lost consciousness ill on the coastline. In a 3rd tale, Riibe stated he saw Konanki strolling on the coastline prior to he went to sleep.
Fox News Digital’s Bryan Llenas, Audrey Conklin and Michael Ruiz added to this record.
