A disturbing video shows University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki vomiting at the back of a bar at the Riu Republica resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Sudiksha Konanki: CCTV shows missing student at a bar
A student who mysteriously vanished from her resort in the Dominican Republic can be seen vomiting in a CCTV video just moments before her disappearance.
Also visible is Joshua Riibe, the last person seen with the missing 20-year-old, at the bar at the Riu Republica resort in Punta Cana, where they had been staying. Riibe, 24, who has not been named as a suspect, reportedly changed his story several times while being interrogated by local investigators, People reported.
In the clip, University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki is seen throwing up at 4.05am before walking back to the bar, while Riibe remained in the background, with two men stood beside him.
In the order of events, Konanki then went to the beach with her three friends, Riibe and his pal. Just before 5am, Konanki’s two friends returned to the hotel without her, according to hotel security cameras.
At 8.54am, Riibe was seen – bare-chested and without any shoes on – returning to his room. But Konanki was nowhere to be seen. In recent days, Riibe was questioned by Dominican prosecutors, who he told the pair had kissed in the ocean before they were almost swept away when a wave came crashing in to them. He claims that he saved her life by stopping her from drowning.
Reports say that the young man was accompanied by two lawyers, and refused to answer some questions put to him by prosecutors. Another question was about his discussions with a close friend about what he thought about Sudiksha and her disappearance.
They also asked him if he knew if the 20-year-old could swim and what gestures she made while allegedly drowning. He was also grilled on his response and whether he contacted the police or hotel, or told his friends about the incident.
To the questions, he responded: “My lawyers advise me not to answer that question and I follow their advice.”
St Cloud State University Minnesota senior Riibe said that he had just met the young woman while on holiday when they decided to go to the beach together, an interview transcript obtained by Noticias SIN reads.
“We were in waist-deep water. We talked and kissed a bit,” Riibe said. “A big wave came and hit us both. And when the water returned, it swept us out to sea. As soon as we were able to surface, we tried to call for help.”
Riibe, who once worked as a lifeguard, said he tried to save them both and pull them to shore, but that he started getting “tired” and feeling sick.
“I was getting tired. I realized she was getting tired of swimming too. I’ve been a lifeguard. I grabbed her and pulled her out. I held her under my arm and swam to get her out of the water,” Riibe said.
