The search for a U.S. college student who went missing in the Dominican Republic intensified on Monday after a man questioned by authorities visited the beach where she was last seen and spoke with officials.
Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh and an Indian citizen, vanished before dawn on March 6 in the resort town of Punta Cana. Authorities are scouring waters in case she drowned.
Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HEREMinnesota student Joshua Riibe is believed to be the last person to see her, though he has not been named as a suspect. On Sunday, he and his attorney met with officials on the beach.
On Monday, Riibe's attorney officially requested his release. A judge is expected to issue a ruling on Tuesday, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information.
What happened to Sudiksha Konanki?
Sudiksha Konanki was last seen March 6 during a power outage at the Riu República Hotel in the beach resort town of Punta Cana.
Police say she disappeared at a beach by the hotel before dawn, as she and other guests had headed outside amid the power outage.
Local
Her family says her belongings, including a phone and wallet, were left with her friends, although she's known to always carry her phone.
Konanki and five other female students flew to the country on March 3.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the news you need to know with the Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
SIGN UP Who is Sudiksha Konanki?
Konanki lives in Chantilly, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., and is a citizen of India and a U.S. permanent resident.
Her parents, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi Konanki, have sought to widen the investigation into her disappearance.
University of Pittsburgh officials say they've been in contact with the Konanki family and authorities in Virginia, and have offered their support in the search.
Who is Joshua Riibe?
Riibe, 22, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, is a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. He is believed to be the last person to have seen Konanki before her disappearance.
What does Riibe say happened?
According to the transcript of an interview with prosecutors, reported by Dominican media as well as NBC and Telemundo, Riibe told police he was drinking with Konanki on the beach and they were kissing in waist-deep water when they were pulled out to sea by a strong tide. Riibe said he was a former lifeguard and swam her into shore.
He told investigators he vomited upon reaching the beach and that Konanki said she was going to fetch her things. When he looked up, she was gone. He said he was later surprised to hear of her disappearance.
Speaking exclusively to NBC News briefly at the resort where Konanki had been staying before her disappearance, Riibe said, “I’m just trying to help them out,” adding, “The ocean is a dangerous place.”
Riibe’s parents have accused Dominican officials of detaining him “under irregular conditions” without translators or legal counsel, saying he has been confined to a hotel room with police surveillance for more than a week.
They said Riibe has been repeatedly taken to the police station and interrogated, adding that he has “fully cooperated” with police.
The statement on Friday by Albert and Tine Riibe provided no details about Konanki’s disappearance or their son’s connection to her. His parents said the family has retained a lawyer to ensure his rights are protected.
Riibe's passport was confiscated on Friday by Dominican authorities as part of an ongoing investigation, his attorneys told NBC News.
Dominican public prosecutors have not responded to the statement.
Where does the investigation stand?
Regional Red Cross Director Fernando Placeres told NBC News on Sunday that he had no information about whether a body had been found.
Investigators have been using drones, helicopters and detection dogs to search waters off the island's east coast.
Civil Defense Director Juan Salas said last week investigators haven't found Konanki's clothing.
The sheriff's office in Loudon County, Virginia, where Konanki is from and where her family lives, has described Riibe as a "person of interest." The sheriff's office has no jurisdiction over the investigation but has sent detectives to Punta Cana to assist in the U.S. side of the investigation.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic said Thursday they do not use the term "person of interest" in the case and at this point, no one is considered a suspect.
U.S. authorities say this is a missing persons case and not a criminal matter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also investigating Konanki’s disappearance.
