St. Cloud State student named ‘person of interest’ in young woman’s disappearance in Dominican Republic

The last known person to be in contact with a U.S. college student who was reported missing in the Dominican Republic last week was a St. Cloud State University student, authorities say.

Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh, vanished after walking to the beach Thursday while vacationing at a resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Konanki is an Indian citizen and a permanent legal resident of the United States whose family lives in Loudoun County, Virginia.

ABC News obtained security camera footage that shows Konanki heading to the beach with friends around 4 a.m. after visiting a nightclub in their hotel. Two hours later, the group went back to their rooms without Konanki.

Investigators say Konanki stayed at the beach with a man in his 20s — identified by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office as 22-year-old Joshua Riibe of Rock Rapids, Iowa.

A spokesperson for St. Cloud State University confirmed to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on Wednesday that Riibe is a senior at the university majoring in land surveying and mapping sciences. He first enrolled at SCSU in 2023.

Riibe told authorities he and Konanki went into the water when a large wave slammed into them and he then fell asleep on the beach, two police sources with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News. Riibe said Konanki was not around when he woke up, and security footage showed him returning to his hotel room just before 9 a.m.

Konanki’s clothes were found on a portable bed near the beach where she went missing, the sources said. There was no evidence of violence.

Dominican officials told ABC News over the weekend they believe Konanki drowned in the ocean.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said there is no criminal investigation and emphasized that Riibe is a person of interest, not a criminal suspect.

The FBI is leading the investigation in coordination with the Dominican National Police, and the sheriff’s office is supporting the FBI in their efforts.

Anyone with information on Konanki’s whereabouts is asked to call the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at 703-777-1021.