Key witness in Sudiksha Konanki’s disappearance has passport seized by authorities

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – authorities within the Dominican Republic have seen the passport of Joshua Riibe, the person who was seen with scholar Sudiksha Konanki of the College of Pittsburgh earlier than she was lacking, has discovered Fox Information.

Riibe’s legal professionals mentioned on Saturday that the journey doc of Riibe was taken ‘a couple of days in the past’ by the authorities. He’s not talked about a suspect within the disappearance of the 20-year-old scholar, however the authorities have mentioned that he’s a “individual necessary” within the case that they take into account as a matter of lacking individual.

“It was seized by the authorities when he tried to take a look at a couple of days in the past when the investigation started,” mentioned Guzmán Ariza legal professionals, a Dominican Republican regulation agency. “Since then he has not had entry to it.”

Though Rock, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, and a senior at St. Cloud State College in Minnesota, has not been accused of any crime, the 22-year-old intensely has been examined since Konanki’s disappearance March 6, March 6. A supply close to the analysis advised Fox Information Digital Friday that Riibe, the one fame, the one fame, the one recognized eye trade, is taken into account a “key ingredient within the analysis.”

Necessary witness within the disappearance of the American scholar tells the police how they met, what occurred on the seashore

The American scholar Sudiksha Konanki was lacking throughout trip along with her pals in Punta Cana March 6, 2025. (Graphics from Fox Information)

Konanki, from Loudon County, Virginia, stayed within the Riu República Resort in Punta Cana with 5 colleague Pitt college students earlier than they disappeared. She was final seen on surveillance digicam pictures of a seashore with 5 different folks after 4:15 am 6 March.

All group members besides Konanki returned round 6 am. The 20-year-old stayed on the seashore with Riibe.

On Wednesday, Riibe accomplished an interview with virtually 4 hours with detectives and answered greater than 50 questions concerning the occasions previous to the disappearance of Konanki.

Lacking American in Dominican Republic: no suspects as a seek for Sudiksha Konanki reaches per week

Riibe’s mother and father, Albert and Tina Riibe, have denounced their son’s analysis and say that he “was detained underneath irregular circumstances and is topic to intensive interrogations with out the presence of official translators or authorized adviser till Wednesday 12 March.”

“He stayed in his resort room underneath police supervision and has been repeatedly delivered to the police station since 6 March, the place he was interrogated for lengthy hours,” mentioned the assertion shared by the Riibes legal professionals. “This case has significantly involved in his household, in order that we now have retained a authorized adviser to provoke authorized actions to ensure his security and safety of his rights throughout this course of.”

Riibe reportedly advised totally different tales about Konanki’s disappearance for the authorities. In keeping with Local outlet noticias sin, Riibe advised the police that he was going to swim with Konanki, however had left after he received sick from the waves, leaving Konanki within the water.

Sudiksha Konanki seems in an undated picture on her Tiktok profile. She was final seen on March 6 in a resort seashore in Punta Cana. (@Sudikshakonanki/Tiktok)

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In a second model of the story, he reportedly mentioned that he left Konanki in knee-deep water earlier than he was sick on the seashore. In a 3rd story, Riibe mentioned he noticed Konanki strolling on the seashore earlier than he fell asleep.

Bryan Llenas from Fox Information Digital, Audrey Conklin and Michael Ruiz have contributed to this report.