St. Cloud State Student Named Person of Interest in Missing Woman Case in Dominican Republic During Spring Break

(KNSI) – A St. Cloud State University student is being called a person of interest after a woman went missing on spring break in the Dominican Republic.

Law enforcement says Joshua Riibe hasn’t been accused of a crime but was given the designation because he was the last to see Sudiksha Konanki before she was reported missing on March 6th. According to SCSU officials, Riibe enrolled in school in 2023 and is a senior majoring in land surveying and mapping sciences. His hometown is Rock Rapids, Iowa.

Authorities say they are not revealing where or when he saw her. Dominican President Luis Abinader said Monday that the last person known to be with her says a wave crashed into them while they were on the beach. Civil Defense Director Juan Salas says investigators haven’t found her clothing.

Dominican police say they’re re-interviewing people who were with the 20-year-old woman before she vanished from a beach in front of the Hotel Riu República. The FBI is among the agencies participating in the investigation.

Officials have been using drones, helicopters and detection dogs to search waters off the island’s east coast. Her family says her belongings, including a phone and wallet, were left with her friends.

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