Key witness in American college student's disappearance has his passport seized

Authorities successful the Dominican Republic person seized the passport of Joshua Riibe, the antheral past seen with missing University of Pittsburgh pupil Sudiksha Konanki, Fox News has learned.

Riibe's attorneys said Saturday that Riibe's question papers was taken by authorities "several days ago." He has not been named a fishy successful the 20-year-old student's disappearance, but authorities person said helium is simply a "person of interest" successful the matter, which they see a missing idiosyncratic case.

"It was confiscated by authorities erstwhile helium tried to cheque retired respective days ago, erstwhile the probe began," lawyers from Guzmán Ariza, a Dominican Republican instrumentality firm, said. "He hasn't had entree to it since then." 

Though Riibe, who is from Rock Rapids, Iowa, and is simply a elder astatine St. Cloud State University successful Minnesota, has not been accused of immoderate crime, the 22-year-old has been intensely scrutinized since Konanki's disappearance connected Mar. 6. A root adjacent to the probe told Fox News Digital Friday that Riibe, the lone publically known eyewitness, is considered a "key constituent successful the investigation." 

KEY WITNESS IN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT'S DISAPPEARANCE TELLS POLICE HOW THEY MET, WHAT HAPPENED ON BEACH

US assemblage pupil Sudiksha Konanki went missing portion connected abrogation with her friends successful Punta Cana connected March 6, 2025.  (Fox News Graphics)

Konanki, a nonmigratory of Loudon County, Virginia, was staying astatine the Riu República Hotel successful Punta Cana with 5 chap Pitt students earlier she vanished. She was past seen connected surveillance camera entering a formation with 5 different radical aft 4:15 a.m. past Thursday.

All radical members but Konanki came backmost astir 6 a.m, portion the 20-year-old stayed connected the formation with Riibe. 

On Wednesday, Riibe completed a astir four-hour interrogation with detectives, answering implicit 50 questions astir the events starring up to Konanki's disappearance.

MISSING AMERICAN IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: NO SUSPECTS AS SEARCH FOR SUDIKSHA KONANKI REACHES ONE WEEK

Riibe's parents, Albert and Tina Riibe, person denounced the probe of their son, saying that helium has "been detained nether irregular conditions and subjected to extended questioning without the beingness of authoritative translators oregon ineligible counsel until Wednesday, March 12."

"He has remained successful his edifice country nether constabulary surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the constabulary presumption since March 6, wherever helium has been interrogated for agelong hours," the statement, shared done the Riibes' attorneys, said. "This concern has raised superior interest wrong his family, which has led america to clasp ineligible counsel to initiate ineligible actions ensuring his information and the extortion of his rights passim this process."

Riibe has reportedly told varying stories astir Konanki's disappearance to section authorities. According to section outlet Noticias SIN, Riibe told constabulary that helium went swimming with Konanki but near aft falling sick from the waves, leaving Konanki successful the water.

Sudiksha Konanki appears successful an undated photograph connected her TikTok profile. She was past seen connected Mar. 6 astatine a edifice formation successful Punta Cana. (@sudikshakonanki/TikTok)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

In a 2nd mentation of the story, helium reportedly said that helium near Konanki successful knee-deep h2o earlier helium passed retired sick connected the beach. In a 3rd story, Riibe said helium saw Konanki walking connected the formation earlier helium fell asleep.

Fox News Digital's Bryan Llenas, Audrey Conklin and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.