Missing American college student seen in new hotel security footage before disappearance

Missing University of Pittsburgh pupil Sudiksha Konanki is seen successful precocious released information camera footage obtained by section quality from the edifice wherever she was staying successful the Dominican Republic earlier she vanished.

Konanki, 20, was past seen connected the formation with a witnesser identified arsenic 22-year-old Joshua Riibe of Iowa astir 4:50 a.m. connected March 6. The brace had been retired drinking with friends astatine the RIU Republica successful Punta Cana earlier Riibe said they went for a aquatics during a red-flag warning. 

The footage obtained by Noticias SIN from a edifice barroom shows Konanki and Riibe drinking earlier the Pitt pupil vanished. No suspects person been named successful transportation with her disappearance, and Riibe has lone been identified arsenic a witnesser and has not been accused of immoderate crime.

Konanki tin beryllium seen wearing the white, sorong-style formal that authorities recovered connected a formation seat aft she vanished.

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

Konanki tin beryllium seen astatine a barroom astatine the RIU Republica edifice earlier her disappearance connected March 6. (Noticias SIN)

Other footage obtained by Noticias SIN from the RIU Republica lobby shows Konanki with her friends earlier her disappearance. 

Konanki and Riibe were some staying astatine the RIU Republica connected abstracted trips to Punta Cana. Riibe had arrived with a person connected March 1, and Konanki had arrived with 5 friends from Pitt connected March 3.

AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT DISAPPEARS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: TIMELINE

Konanki tin beryllium seen wearing the white, sorong-style formal that authorities recovered connected a formation seat aft she disappeared.  (Noticias SIN)

Around 4:15 a.m. connected March 6, Konanki was portion of a radical of six women and 2 men, including Riibe, seen connected surveillance video approaching the beach. Six of them came backmost astir 6 a.m., leaving Konanki unsocial connected the formation with Riibe. He came backmost unsocial astir 10 a.m. 

He sat with constabulary for aggregate interviews, including 1 Wednesday that is recorded connected a transcript obtained by Fox News. 

Local authorities hunt for missing US pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic connected March 6. 2025. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

According to the document, Riibe said helium and Konanki were talking successful the h2o erstwhile a "big wave" deed them, the transcript reads. There was a red-flag informing connected the formation astatine the time, indicating a informing for radical not to spell swimming successful unsmooth surf.

HOTEL HORROR STORIES EMERGE AFTER AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT GOES MISSING AS RESORT INSISTS NO CONNECTION

Sudiksha Konanki, 20, has been missing from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, since March 6. (handout/ Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

"[W]ith the water’s pullback, it dragged america further into the sea," helium said. "As soon arsenic we surfaced, we tried to telephone for help, but nary 1 was there."

Riibe is simply a erstwhile excavation lifeguard. He said helium struggled to propulsion Konanki ashore, according to the transcript. Once they were connected their feet, helium said she walked distant to get her belongings and helium threw up and passed out. He told constabulary she was walking successful knee-deep h2o erstwhile helium past saw her.

People bask clip connected the formation astatine the RIU Republica Resort successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Friday, March 14, 2025. Sudiksha Konanki, 20, was past seen connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic connected March 6. 2025. (Fox News Digital)

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office successful Virginia said it could not validate Wednesday's transcript but that it was accordant with what Riibe told 2 Loudoun detectives sent down to assistance successful the investigation.

"Mr. Riibe is not a fishy successful immoderate mode signifier oregon form," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital, adding that the Dominican Republic is starring the investigation.

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

Local authorities hunt for missing US pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, March 13, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic connected March 6. 2025. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

Riibe's lawyer, Beatriz Santana, declined to remark connected the lawsuit oregon her client’s interviews with police. Riibe's parents issued a connection done their lawyer connected Friday taking contented with Dominican authorities' handling of the case. 

"Despite his afloat willingness to cooperate, Josh has been detained nether irregular conditions and subjected to extended questioning without the beingness of authoritative translators oregon ineligible counsel until Wednesday, March 12," his parents, Albert and Tina Riibe, said done their attorneys. 

People bask clip connected the formation astatine the RIU Republica Resort successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, March 13, 2025. Sudiksha Konanki, 20, was past seen connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic connected March 6. 2025. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

His parents said the 22-year-old "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."

"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," they said.

Local authorities hunt for missing US pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, March 13, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic connected March 6. 2025. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

The household said they were consenting to proceed cooperating with hunt efforts and wanted to stock their "deep sorrow and solidarity" with Konanki's family.

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"Above all, we privation to lend to the hunt efforts and recognize the anguish and uncertainty they are going done and we stock the anticipation that Sudiksha volition beryllium recovered arsenic soon arsenic possible," they said. "Joshua Riibe is profoundly dismayed by her disappearance and has afloat cooperated successful the hunt and clarification of the facts from the precise beginning."

Fox News' Michael Ruiz and Bryan Llenas contributed to this report.