Officials have identified a person of interest in the case of the University of Pittsburgh student who went missing last week during her spring break trip in the Dominican Republic. The individual is not a suspect.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, was last seen early Thursday, March 6, when video surveillance cameras showed her appearing to enter the beach of the Hotel Riu in Punta Cana with her friends and two men around 4:15 a.m. The friendship group and one man returned around 4:55 a.m., without Konanki. It remains to be seen if she stayed behind with the other man.
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Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old from Iowa, has since been interviewed by police. Riibe was also in Punta Cana for a vacation, and was not part of the friend group Konanki came with. “This particular individual may have been the last one to have seen her, so is of particular interest,” the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) tells TIME in an emailed statement, reiterating that Riibe is not a suspect.
“We are using all of our resources to thoroughly investigate the disappearance... and we understand the distress that this case causes her families, Dominicans, and Americans,” the Dominican Republic National Police said in a Wednesday press release.
The police were first informed of her disappearance on Friday at 8 a.m. after they received a call from the U.S. embassy. Since then, officials have been coordinating with the Dominican Republic Air Force, Navy, Fire Department, and hotel staff to conduct a search via sea, air, and land with the assistance of canine units. They’ve also employed divers, drones, and helicopters.
Further information about Konanki, a U.S. permanent resident and Indian citizen, will be revealed as the investigation continues, the Dominican Republic National Police said in a March 9 statement.
“We are aware of reports of a University of Pittsburgh student missing in the Dominican Republic. Due to privacy considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time,” the State Department told TIME in an emailed statement. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a press release on Sunday they were working with the Department of State, FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations and the University of Pittsburgh police to help with the investigation.
The Dominican Republic is currently on a level 2 travel advisory, which encourages visitors to exercise increased caution due to crime.
In a Sunday statement, the University of Pittsburgh said they were in contact with Konanki’s family and local authorities, urging anyone with information to reach out to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. “We have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” they added.
Here’s what we know so far:
What happened to Sudiksha Konanki?
Knonanki first arrived to the Dominican Republic on March 3 with a group of five friends. She disappeared after 4:15 a.m. on March 6, where she was last captured on video surveillance entering the beach area with others, according to the Dominican Republic National Police.
In an interview with CNN, Konanki’s father said that his daughter had gone to the beach early that morning with her friends and other men they met at the hotel. “Her friends came back after some time and my daughter did not come back,” Subbarayudu Konanki, the victim’s father, said.
Officials believe a young man also entered the beach and are working to corroborate his version of events. The young man was seen leaving the beach before 9 a.m., though Konanki was not with him. Officials told CNN that he felt sick, came out of the water, and laid down on the beach. He told investigators the next thing he remembers was waking up and leaving the area.
While some local officials appear to have told ABC News of a potential drowning, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told TIME on Monday in an email that the reports were “speculative” and said there was “no evidence of this at this time.”
Konanki’s father told CNN he wanted authorities to look into whether his daughter could have been kidnapped or human trafficked. “We don’t think she would be able to survive for more than three days in the water and I think something else might’ve happened to her,” he said. Authorities have since confirmed that there were other people on the beach the day of her disappearance.
“We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. The safety and well-being of our guests are our highest priority, and we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation,” the Riu hotel chain said in a statement to TIME.
Konanki’s parents travelled to Punta Cana to speak with authorities, but have since returned to Virginia, where Konanki’s father met with Loudoun County Sheriff Chapman on Wednesday.
In a Facebook post, the Indian Embassy said they were in touch with Konanki’s parents and were “extending all assistance in coordination with government authorities of the Dominican Republic.”