Person of Interest in Sudiksha Konanki's Disappearance Detained 'Under Irregular Conditions,' His Family Says

The parents of Joshua Riibe, the American tourer who was named a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the Dominican Republic disappearance of University of Pittsburgh pupil Sudiksha Konanki, said their lad had been "detained nether irregular conditions."

Riibe, 22 — who hasn't been accused of oregon charged with a transgression — was precocious named a idiosyncratic of involvement by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office successful Virginia aft Konanki, 20, was past seen astatine a formation astatine the Riu Republica edifice successful Punta Cana connected March 6.

The man's parents person since released a statement, shared by Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE, expressing their "deep sorrow and solidarity" with Konanki's family, arsenic they explained that their lad had "fully cooperated successful the hunt and clarification of the facts from the precise beginning."

Then detailing their "concern" related to his questioning, the parents continued, "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."

"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 parents added. "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."

Related: Person of Interest successful Sudiksha Konanki's Disappearance Gave Differing Accounts During Questioning: Source

Riibe is simply a pupil astatine St. Cloud State University successful Minnesota, his parents — identified arsenic Albert and Tina Riibe by The Minnesota Star Tribute — besides confirmed successful the statement.

Konanki was portion of a radical of six pistillate students traveling for outpouring interruption this month. A root adjacent to the probe said her apparel were discovered connected a chaise lounge connected the beach, arsenic Dominican outlet El Nacional reported that nary signs of foul play were detected.

Riibe remained successful custody arsenic of March 13, erstwhile a root told PEOPLE that helium was "still astatine the edifice helium was holidaying successful and remains astatine the disposal of the Dominican and U.S. authorities for further clarifications."

That aforesaid day, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office told PEOPLE that Riibe is not a fishy and is inactive considered a idiosyncratic of involvement to the office, "as helium whitethorn person been the past 1 to spot her."

A prosecutor's bureau root antecedently claimed that Riibe's communicative changed implicit the people of 4 interrogations. He maintains helium archetypal met Konanki astatine the edifice wherever they stayed and had been "partying" unneurotic with friends, the insider said.

“We are keeping each avenues of probe open, but astatine this clip we person nary factual elements that could pb america to judge that foul play was involved," a constabulary root told PEOPLE.

Related: Footage Shows Missing Student Sudiksha Konanki Walking Arm-in-Arm with Man Toward Beach Before She Vanished

According to a root adjacent to the investigation, Konanki and 7 others near their edifice for a formation locomotion astir 4:15 a.m. section clip connected March 6 aft having drinks.

Later, six of the 8 could beryllium seen returning successful information camera footage changeable astatine astir 5:55 a.m. Investigators determined that Riibe returned to the edifice astir 9 a.m. Konanki's friends aboriginal reported her missing to edifice unit astatine 4 p.m. that day.

Following her disappearance, Dominican National Police said an "exhaustive hunt was launched by sea, air, and land."

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According to ABC News, which cites 2 Dominican Republic sources who provided a transcript of his speech with a prosecutor, Riibe claimed helium met Konanki that nighttime and that they kissed.

He added that they were deed by a "big wave" that pulled them "into the ocean," earlier helium "swam to get her retired of the water." Per the outlet, helium claimed helium "thought she had taken her things and left."

Riibe's household aboriginal said successful their statement, per WTAE, that their lad is "deeply dismayed by" Konanki's "disappearance and has afloat cooperated successful the hunt and clarification of the facts from the precise beginning."

The Konanki household antecedently told USA Today that they are "going done an incredibly hard time" and "are profoundly saddened."

"We kindly petition privateness arsenic we header with this challenging infinitesimal together," they added.

In a anterior quality release, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said that determination has been "considerable nationalist speculation astir what whitethorn person happened to Konanki and who whitethorn beryllium involved."

"We caution anyone from drafting immoderate unsubstantiated conclusions and are committed to ensuring that a thorough probe is conducted earlier immoderate conclusions are reached. The LCSO is hopeful for the harmless instrumentality of Sudiksha Konanki, and we are committed to supporting this probe and her household successful each mode possible," the bureau continued.

Read the archetypal nonfiction connected People