A man who was seen with Sudiksha Konanki just hours before she disappeared has broken his silence for the first time since being named a person of interest in the case.
The 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student disappeared on March 6 while on a spring break trip with five female friends to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Surveillance footage captured her and her friends drinking in the hotel lobby before heading to the beach at around 4:15AM with two men. By 4:55AM, her friends and one of the men had returned to the hotel, leaving her alone with 22-year-old Joshua Riibe.
Riibe, a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, was also vacationing in Punta Cana when Konanki disappeared.
While he has not been charged or officially accused of any crime, authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, have designated him as a person of interest, stating that he may have been the last one to see her.
Now, for the first time since the investigation began, Riibe has addressed the case while speaking with NBC News at the same resort where Konanki had been staying.
“I’m just trying to help them out,” Riibe said when asked about the ongoing investigation, adding: “The ocean is a dangerous place.”
Riibe’s family and legal team have raised concerns about the conditions he has been subjected to since being named a person of interest.
His attorneys told the outlet via email that Riibe has been confined to the hotel since the investigation began. He is permanently escorted by the police anywhere he goes. So no, he is not free to leave," adding that his passport was also confiscated by Dominican authorities.
His parents also issued a separate statement to WTAE, detailing the intense scrutiny their son has been under: "Despite his full willingness to cooperate, Josh has been detained under irregular conditions and subjected to extensive questioning without the presence of official translators or legal counsel until Wednesday, March 12."
"He has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6, where he has been interrogated for long hours.
"This situation has raised serious concern within his family, which has led us to retain legal counsel to initiate legal actions ensuring his safety and the protection of his rights throughout this process," they added.
His family also told CBS News that they hope Konanki is “found as soon as possible".
Authorities say investigators are looking into the possibility that the missing student may have drowned, though they have not ruled out the potential for foul play.
Search efforts remain extensive, with crews scouring the water, land, and air. Officials revealed that they have already spent 35 hours conducting aerial searches in an effort to locate her.
Meanwhile, Interpol has issued a global alert for Konanki, placing a Yellow Notice on her case. According to Interpol, these notices are typically issued for victims of kidnappings or cases involving "unexplained disappearances".