A person of interest in the case of a missing University of Pittsburgh student broke his silence over the weekend, saying that he is focused on helping authorities in the Dominican Republic locate 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki. Joshua Riibe, an American, was likely the last person to see Konanki, who went missing earlier this month after a trip to the Caribbean nation. Konanki was last seen on March 6 after traveling with five other friends to Punta Cana. Riibe, a 22-year-old student at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, had his passport confiscated as a part of the investigation, and told NBC News he was just trying to “help them out,” and that the “ocean is a dangerous place.” He is not allowed to leave his hotel, and is escorted by police everywhere, his attorney’s told the outlet. Riibe said he was on the beach with Konanki shortly before she went missing, and were “in waist-deep water, talking and kissing a little.” The man then claimed that water took them both out to sea, and that after getting her back to shore, Konanki left without saying anything. “The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn’t hear her answer,” he said. “I looked around and didn’t see anyone.” U.S. authorities have said that this is a missing persons case, and not a criminal matter, according to NBC News.
