The search continues for Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing while on spring break in the Dominican Republic. This case now has a Minnesota connection. Investigators have named a Saint Cloud State University student as a person of interest. It is important to know that this is not a criminal investigation right now. Joshua Ribe is not a suspect and does not face any criminal charges. Ribe is from Iowa and joined Saint Cloud State in 2023. He is now a senior student at Land Surveying and Mapping Sciences.
Surveillance video from a Dominican Republic news outlet shows Ribe walking with Sudiksha Konangi. She was with some friends who were following behind them. This video is from last Thursday around 4:30 in the morning. The group walked toward the beach in Punta Cana. Konangi and Ribe stayed behind while others left. Investigators think the 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student may have drowned, but they don’t have solid proof of this yet. According to local media in the Dominican Republic, Ribe is cooperating with the investigation.
This is a tragic disappearance of a student, where there are many unanswered questions. Even on day seven, there is no clue about Sudiksha. Her father is demanding for deeper investigation and to stop looking at it from a drowning or accident angle. Now concerns are raised about student safety while studying abroad. How far they are safe visiting places like the Dominican Republic, which has a high crime rate incidents ranging from bag snatching to violent crimes. There are many warning signs for travellers when it comes to their own safety considerations in cities like Santo Domingo and Santiago in resort areas, how a group of girls travelled, without considering these crime rate warning signs.
Students who are travelling abroad for study and job purposes need to be responsible and take care of themselves and need to stop travelling to risk areas. Your loved ones are waiting for you at home and leaving you in other countries only by believing in you. So, while doing any adventure or travelling, think twice, you have people waiting for you at home.
