Missing Dominican Republic Travel Mysterious “People of Interest” – Country
In search of a 20-year-old student from the University of Pittsburgh, an interest has been identified, who disappeared on spring break in Punta Cana last week.
According to a statement from the Dominican National Police, Sudiksha Konanki was last seen entering the surveillance video of RiuRepública Hotel beach around 4:15 a.m. on March 6.
On Wednesday morning, Konanki, a spokesman for the Loudon County Sheriff's Office in Virginia, a biology student, told NBC News that U.S. investigators have identified people of interest.
The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office has no jurisdiction over Conkey’s case, but has sent detectives to Punta Cana to assist in the investigation.
Dominican Republic authorities have not yet said whether individuals are interested in the investigation.
“This is different from the suspect because it's not a crime problem. It's still a missing case,” Thomas Julia, a spokesman for the Loudon County Sheriff's Office, told The Outlet.
Julia also said that during the investigation, detailed interviews were conducted with those interested who were not yet identified.
New surveillance footage of Konanki, who arrived in the country on March 3, has also been released by Dominican Republic news media Noticias Sin. The video footage was taken at 4:15 am local time on March 6, showing Konanki leaving RiuRepública Hotel Lobby with three other people.
She was seen armed with a man while two women walked behind them after leaving the building. According to law enforcement, the man is believed to be the last person to meet Konanki.
Surveillance video also showed the man leaving the beach area at 9:55 a.m. without signs of konanki.
“The missing woman and the young foreigner who accompanied her were captured several meters from the video surveillance camera, from entering the beach area,” the Dominican National Police said in a statement.
Loudon County Sheriff Mike Chapman said he was concerned about the “inconsistency” in the witness statements.
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Chapman told the news agency Benfield on Monday. “I believe there are a few times when there are some inconsistencies with my own story. It really bothers me here, and it really begs the question, what really happens there?”
The FBI joined the search for Conna on Tuesday. The Dominican government noted that others participating in the search included the Dominican Republic Air Force (FARD), the Navy, Civil Defense and its rescue personnel, members of the fire department, and staff from the hotel.
The Dominican Republic National Police added in a statement on X: “The National Police and the Office of the Attorney General (PGR), the FBI and the U.S. Embassy's international contacts in the country have set up a high-level committee to follow up on the case.”
Dominican Republic police said they were reexamining the person who was with Konanki before she disappeared on the beach in front of the Riu República hotel.
“This new phase begins with a reexamination of people who have previously been with the missing women in space and space. The hotel staff who stayed with the young woman and her companions are also part of the process to collect information to ensure their movement, interaction and any relevant data in this search process.”
The hotel said in a statement that the disappearance of Conkey matched the power outage and prompted several guests to go to the beach.
“After early this morning, more than 300 officials, experts, tactical units and water search teams have been deployed to the hotel's coastal areas and surrounding areas to work together to track any clues that could lead to young women,” Dominican police said Wednesday.
Police added that authorities are “working around the clock to track any clues” that could lead to Konanki's location, “maintaining ongoing coordination with national and international agencies involved in this search.”
Dominican President Luis Abinader told reporters that Konanki's disappearance is an accident under investigation.
“We’re worried,” he said at a weekly meeting with the press on Monday. “All government agencies are searching… because the latest information we got from one of them, from the last person with the young woman, according to the report, what he said was that on the beach, a wave fell into the beach.”
Abinader defends the safety of tourists in the Dominican Republic, saying the country receives more than 11 million tourists each year, which rarely appears.
“It's four days, if she's in the water, she might be scattered on the shore,” Subbarayudu Konanki, father of the missing college student, told WTOP-FM. “She was not found, so we asked them to investigate multiple options, such as kidnapping or kidnapping.”
Civil Defense spokesman Jensen Sánchez said authorities used drones, helicopters and detection dogs on Monday to search the waters on the island’s east coast that she allegedly saw for the last time.
“The search is underway because it is assumed that she drowned. According to the boy she was with, the waves swept her away, but it was in the police investigation,” he said.
He noted that it may take more than a week for the body to surface in warm waters.
Konanki's parents flew to Punta Cana with two family and friends after learning that their daughter was missing. Subbarayudu and a family friend filed a record of complaints on Sunday, asking authorities to expand the investigation.
The complaint states that the student’s property, including her phone and money bag, was left to her friends, “It’s unusual because she always carries her cell phone with her.”
“In view of these circumstances, I respectfully ask the authorities to take immediate measures to investigate not only the possibility of accidental drowning, but also the possibility of kidnapping or fouling,” WTOP-FM said.
The RIU hotel chain said in a statement on March 9 that it “attention deeply to the disappearance of one of our guests.”
“From the moment she was reportedly absent, we have been working closely with local authorities, including the police and the navy, to conduct a thorough search,” the hotel said. “We want to express our deepest sympathy to family and friends during this extremely difficult time … we are completely committed to doing everything we can to assist in this situation.”
– Documents with the Associated Press
