New Footage of Sudiksha Konanki Before Disappearance Shows Joshua Riibe Struggling Nearby

Sudiksha Konanki Before Disappearance: Newly emerged footage shows missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki and the person of interest in her case at an outdoor bar before she disappeared from a Punta Cana beach earlier this month.

Konanki, 20, can be seen in a pair of videos obtained by local outlet Noticia SIN – including one in which she and friends are hanging at a resort bar near a struggling man who appears to be a person of interest Joshua Riibe.

The co-ed, who was on spring break in the Dominican Republic, vanished in the early hours of March 6, sparking a desperate search and swirling questions about what happened to her.

The videos were obtained by local outlet Noticia SIN. Konanki and Riibe do not interact in the videos.

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CCTV footage from the Riu Republica Resort shows Ms Konanki walking arm-in-arm with an unidentified man, now believed to be Mr Riibe, along a resort pathway, accompanied by her friends. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, shorts, and her hair tied in a ponytail.

Who is Joshua Riibe?

Joshua Riibe is a college senior at St Cloud State University in Minnesota, pursuing a degree in land surveying. He is a pool lifeguard.

Described by his family as a "kind, humorous, and community-driven young man," Mr Riibe has been involved in student activities, sports, and volunteer work, ABC News reported.

He was not originally part of Ms Konanki's travel group but met her on the night of her disappearance.

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Ribe, 22, a St. Cloud University final-year student, remains under police supervision and has undergone hours long questioning. Officials have retained his passport until further notice.

The Iowa resident, whilst under investigation, faces no formal accusations or charges regarding the Virginia student's disappearance.

As per latest reports, Ribe described being swept away by powerful waves while at the sea with Konanki, and his struggle to rescue both of them from the water. Upon reaching the shore, he was sic from swallowing seawater during their fight for survival.

However, he was unable to provide details to the police about subsequent events, stating that when he regained consciousness on the beach, Konanki had vanished.

According to police reports, they discovered Konanki's clothing on a beach chai as reproted by the New York Post.

Initially, Joshua declined to respond to police inquiries, stating that his lawyers had advised him again answering questions.

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