Latest news with #DominicanNationalPolice
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Octavio Dotel dies in nightclub collapse; MLB world reacts to former pitcher's death
Octavio Dotel dies in nightclub collapse; MLB world reacts to former pitcher's death Show Caption Hide Caption Former major league pitcher Octavio Dotel dies in nightclub collapse Former major league pitcher Octavio Dotel is among the dozens dead after the roof of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic collapsed. Former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel died Tuesday, April 8, as one of 66 fatalities in an unfortunate nightclub collapse in the Dominican Republic. Dotel was a native of Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital city, and was inside the Jet Set nightclub early Tuesday when the roof fell. Dotel was recovered from the rubble hours later, but died on the way to the hospital, Dominican National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira said. Dotel, 51, was a 15-year MLB veteran who played from 1999 to 2013 for 13 different clubs, the first player to do so. He was also a crucial part of the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen during their World Series run in 2011. Throughout his career, Dotel left a remarkable impression on the league. Here are some reactions from the baseball world: Baseball world reacts to Octavio Dotel's death
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
SCSU student last seen with missing student Sudiksha Konanki returns to US: What we know
Joshua Riibe, the 22-year-old college student believed to be the last person to see Sudiksha Konanki alive and a central witness in her disappearance, left the Dominican Republic and is returning home to the United States, the Department of State confirmed Thursday. Riibe was named as a person of interest by Dominican National Police in Konanki's March 6 disappearance. He was never a suspect in the investigation and has not been accused of wrongdoing. Lawyers for Riibe in court Wednesday alleged that police had unfairly detained him, seized his passport and placed him under surveillance, according to local media and CBS News. A judge in the Dominican Republic ruled that Riibe had cooperated with the investigation and should be allowed to return home. His release comes as Konanki's parents on Monday asked Dominican authorities to officially declare their daughter dead. More: Missing student Sudiksha Konanki's family faces 'ambiguous loss' – the grief of uncertainty Konanki, 20, vanished from a beach near the Riu Republica Hotel in the Dominican Republic on March 6 while on a spring break trip with friends. Surveillance footage recorded hours before Konanki's disappearance showed her heading to the beach with a man identified as Riibe and six others. Officials say Konanki stayed behind with Riibe on the beach after the others left. Riibe reportedly told investigators that he carried Konanki to shallow waters after the pair were swept out into the ocean by a current while swimming. He said he returned to the shore after that and didn't see where she went after that because he was vomiting and passed out. Konanki's body has not been found. Konanki's parents now believe their daughter drowned and asked Dominican authorities on Monday to declare her dead. "Sudiksha's family has expressed their belief that she drowned," Sheriff Michael Chapman, of Loudoun County, Virginia, where her family lives, said in a statement. "While a final decision to make such a declaration rests with authorities in the Dominican Republic, we will support the Konanki family in every way possible as we continue to review the evidence and information made available to us in the course of this investigation." The Dominican National Police and Loudoun County Sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a request for a comment Thursday about the status of the investigation into the University of Pittsburgh student's disappearance. Reports: Last man to see Sudiksha Konanki said he tried to save missing student from ocean Konanki's father, Subbarayudu Konanki, publicly urged detectives early in the investigation to expand their search for Konanki and consider other possible reasons for her disappearance, including kidnapping. But this week Subbarayudu Konanki told reporters he and his wife were 'coming to terms' with their daughter drowning. 'This is incredibly difficult for us to process,' he said during a press conference, as his wife sobbed into her hands. Riibe is a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota studying land surveying and mapping sciences, according to university spokesperson Zach Dwyer. Investigators say he and Konanki met in the Dominican Republic. Authorities said he cooperated with their investigation into Konanki's disappearance. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SCSU student last seen with Sudiksha Konanki returns to US
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Missing American college student's hometown sheriff names person of interest five days into search
The hometown sheriff's department of a missing American college student has named a person of interest in Sudiksha Konanki's disappearance in the Dominican Republic. Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff's Office spokesperson Thomas Julia told Fox News Digital that 24-year-old Joshua Riibe is a "person of interest" in the college student's disappearance during the University of Pittsburgh student's spring break. Julia said that Riibe "has been interviewed at length," but noted its' "still a missing person case, not a criminal case." Riibe has not been accused of any crime in the case. "Sheriff [Michael] Chapman wants to make sure the investigation is comprehensive and includes all possible assets and techniques," he said. "We are working closely with the FBI on all of this, and they are working with the Dominican National Police." Missing American College Student Seen On Resort Surveillance In Dominican Republic Police said Konanki, who is a resident of Loudon County, Virginia, traveled with five other people from the University of Pittsburgh to the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana during the school's spring break, which began March 2 and ended Sunday. Read On The Fox News App She was last seen on surveillance camera with five other people entering the beach at the five-star resort after 4:15 a.m. Thursday, the Dominican National Police previously said in a statement. American College Student Sudiksha Konanki's Disappearance In Dominican Republic: Timeline Footage obtained by Noticias SIN showed Konanki seemingly clinging to a man as the group made their way towards the beach. It was the last time authorities tracked Konanki before the Virginia resident disappeared. Konanki's disappearance has sparked widespread speculation about the events leading up to it, prompting law enforcement in both the Dominican Republic and the U.S. to investigate. Authorities have not named any suspects amid the ongoing investigation. On Tuesday, the Dominican National Police said it is "re-interviewing targeted individuals who were in the victim's proximity at the time of her disappearance." Beth Holloway Addresses Missing American College Student, Urges 'Full Circle' Safety Plan "This includes hotel employees where Konanki and her companions were staying, with the goal of gathering information to corroborate her movements, interactions, and any relevant details for the investigation," they said. WATCH: When asked about a Monday report that Konanki may have drowned, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital that authorities "have heard this and have seen no evidence presented at this time." A joint investigation into Konanki's disappearance is being conducted by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police and the Dominican Prosecutors Office. The FBI is also assisting. The FBI declined to provide additional details on the investigation. Fox News Digital has reached out to Joshua article source: Missing American college student's hometown sheriff names person of interest five days into search
Fox News
12-03-2025
- Fox News
Missing American college student's hometown sheriff names person of interest five days into search
The hometown sheriff's department of a missing American college student has named a person of interest in Sudiksha Konanki's disappearance in the Dominican Republic. Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff's Office spokesperson Thomas Julia told Fox News Digital that 24-year-old Joshua Riibe is a "person of interest" in the college student's disappearance during the University of Pittsburgh student's spring break. Julia said that Riibe "has been interviewed at length," but noted its' "still a missing person case, not a criminal case." Riibe has not been accused of any crime in the case. "Sheriff [Michael] Chapman wants to make sure the investigation is comprehensive and includes all possible assets and techniques," he said. "We are working closely with the FBI on all of this, and they are working with the Dominican National Police." Police said Konanki, who is a resident of Loudon County, Virginia, traveled with five other people from the University of Pittsburgh to the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana during the school's spring break, which began March 2 and ended Sunday. She was last seen on surveillance camera with five other people entering the beach at the five-star resort after 4:15 a.m. Thursday, the Dominican National Police previously said in a statement. Footage obtained by Noticias SIN showed Konanki seemingly clinging to a man as the group made their way towards the beach. It was the last time authorities tracked Konanki before the Virginia resident disappeared. Konanki's disappearance has sparked widespread speculation about the events leading up to it, prompting law enforcement in both the Dominican Republic and the U.S. to investigate. Authorities have not named any suspects amid the ongoing investigation. On Tuesday, the Dominican National Police said it is "re-interviewing targeted individuals who were in the victim's proximity at the time of her disappearance." "This includes hotel employees where Konanki and her companions were staying, with the goal of gathering information to corroborate her movements, interactions, and any relevant details for the investigation," they said. WATCH: When asked about a Monday report that Konanki may have drowned, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital that authorities "have heard this and have seen no evidence presented at this time." A joint investigation into Konanki's disappearance is being conducted by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police and the Dominican Prosecutors Office. The FBI is also assisting. The FBI declined to provide additional details on the investigation. Fox News Digital has reached out to Joshua Riibe.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Missing American college student seen on resort surveillance in Dominican Republic
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – A 20-year-old college student was last captured on surveillance footage gallivanting with friends during their spring break trip at a resort in the Dominican Republic before she mysteriously vanished. Sudiksha Konanki, a junior pre-med student at the University of Pittsburgh, was last seen on surveillance camera with five other people entering the beach at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana after 4:15 a.m. Thursday, the Dominican National Police said in a statement. Surveillance video, obtained by Noticias SIN, captured the group striding towards the beach at the five-star resort. The footage is the last time authorities tracked Konanki before the Virginia resident disappeared. Beth Holloway Addresses Missing American College Student, Urges 'Full Circle' Safety Plan Konanki's disappearance has sparked widespread speculation about the events leading up to it, prompting law enforcement in both the Dominican Republic and the U.S. to investigate. Read On The Fox News App American College Student Sudiksha Konanki's Disappearance In Dominican Republic: Timeline Konanki was seen for the last time at 4:15 a.m. walking on the beach outside the RIU Republica Resort on March 6, according to the Dominican National Police. WATCH THE FOOTAGE: The footage captured Konanki accompanied by two men and three women. The 20-year-old was seen clinging to a blonde man, whom authorities identified as a "male friend." Authorities said that the male friend who was with Konanki around the time of her disappearance is under investigation. Missing American College Student's Spring Break Disappearance 'Too Early' To Rule Drowning: Virginia Sheriff It is unclear who the "young man" is, but police said he was in the water at the same beach, and they are questioning him in an attempt to corroborate his version of events, according to a translation of a Spanish-language statement. Authorities have not named any suspects amid their ongoing investigation. In a release on Tuesday, the Dominican National Police said that they are "re-interviewing targeted individuals who were in the victim's proximity at the time of her disappearance." "This includes hotel employees where Konanki and her companions were staying, with the goal of gathering information to corroborate her movements, interactions, and any relevant details for the investigation," they said. When asked about a Monday report that Konanki may have drowned, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital authorities "have heard this and have seen no evidence presented at this time." A joint investigation into Konanki's disappearance is being conducted by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police and the Dominican Prosecutors Office. The FBI is also article source: Missing American college student seen on resort surveillance in Dominican Republic
