Joshua Riibe, the man believed to be the last person who saw Sudiksha Konanki — who disappeared in the Dominican Republic on March 6 — broke his silence after having his passport seized by authorities.
Last week, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where Konanki is a biology student, told NBC News that a person of interest had been identified by U.S. investigators.
Surveillance footage of Konanki showed the missing student arm-in-arm with Riibe while two women walked behind them as they left the building. Riibe, 22, a university student from Minnesota, has now been “confined” to the Riu Republica in Punta Cana, where he was last seen with Konanki before she disappeared.
“He is permanently escorted by the police anywhere he goes,” the law firm Riibe is working with told NBC News, adding that he is “not free to leave.”
“I’m just trying to help them out,” Riibe said in reference to authorities’ search for Konanki. “The ocean is a dangerous place.”
Riibe, who has not been charged with any crime, told authorities on March 12 that he spent time on the beach “kissing” Konanki before her disappearance, according to the interview transcript obtained by NBC News. (Global News has not independently viewed the transcript.)
Riibe told local investigators that he and Konanki were “in waist-deep water, talking and kissing a little,” when a large wave crashed into them and swept them both “out to sea,” according to the transcript.
“I kept trying to get her to breathe, but that didn’t allow me to breathe all the time, and I swallowed a lot of water,” Riibe reportedly said.
Riibe, a former lifeguard, told investigators that he got himself and Konanki back to shore safely.
“It took me a long time to get her out, it was difficult,” Riibe told officials, according to the transcript. “I was a lifeguard in the pool, not in the sea.
“When I finally reached the ground on the beach, I held her in front of me. She wasn’t out of the water, she was knee-deep and walking at an angle out of the water.
“The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn’t hear her answer because I started vomiting all the sea water I had swallowed.”
Riibe said that after vomiting he looked around and assumed Konanki had left the beach.
“I looked around and I didn’t see anyone. I thought she’d grabbed her things and left,” he added.
A representative for the Dominican Republic authorities said in an update on March 14 that “Joshua Steven Riibe, who has been identified as a ‘person of interest,’ remains in custody and is being interrogated at the National Police’s Gender Violence Unit to gather more information about the incident.”
“As long as authorities consider Joshua Steven Riibe a key element in the investigation, he will remain in custody,” the notice said.
“We are using all our resources to thoroughly investigate the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki and understand the distress this case causes her family, Dominican citizens, and Americans,” Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso said on March 12. “As with any disappearance that occurs under the circumstances of the case at hand, we are applying a holistic investigation protocol that examines all variables.”
The surveillance footage, released last week, shows Riibe leaving the beach area at 9:55 a.m., with no sign of Konanki. Riibe’s family told local outlet WTAE that their son is “deeply dismayed by” Konanki’s disappearance. They also said that Riibe “has fully cooperated in the search and clarification of the facts from the very beginning.”
They said their son has been “detained under irregular conditions.”
“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,” Riibe’s parents said. “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.
“Joshua is a 22-year-old college senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, where he is pursuing a degree in land survey. He is a beloved son, brother, and friend, known for his kind nature, sense of humor, and commitment to his community.
“Throughout his life, he has shown a strong dedication to those around him, participating in sports, student events, and volunteer activities. His faith and values have guided his path, and those who know him can attest to his integrity and good heart.”
His parents said that “this is a complex and painful situation for all parties involved.”
“We trust that the investigation will be conducted with transparency and justice. Our only interest is that due process be respected and that actions be taken with the fairness that the situation requires,” they said. “We ask everyone to pray that Sudiksha be found and returned home to her family.”
Last week, Dominican President Luis Abinader told reporters that Konanki’s disappearance is being investigated as an accident.
“We are concerned,” he said on March 10 during his weekly meeting with the press. “All government agencies are searching … because the latest information we have from one of them, from the last person who was with the young woman, what he says according to the reports is that a wave, while on the beach, crashed into them.”
Abinader defended the safety of tourists in the Dominican Republic, saying the country receives more than 11 million visitors a year and that issues rarely arise.
The Riu Hotels chain said in a statement on March 9 that it was “deeply concerned about the disappearance of one of our guests.”
“From the moment her absence was reported, we have been working closely with the local authorities, including the police and the navy, to conduct a thorough search,” the hotel said. “We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time … we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation.”