Latest news with #RIURepublica
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Missing American college student seen in new hotel security footage before disappearance
Missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki is seen in recently released security camera footage obtained by local news from the hotel where she was staying in the Dominican Republic before she vanished. Konanki, 20, was last seen on the beach with a witness identified as 22-year-old Joshua Riibe of Iowa around 4:50 a.m. on March 6. The pair had been out drinking with friends at the RIU Republica in Punta Cana before Riibe said they went for a swim during a red-flag warning. The footage obtained by Noticias SIN from a hotel bar shows Konanki and Riibe drinking before the Pitt student vanished. No suspects have been named in connection with her disappearance, and Riibe has only been identified as a witness and has not been accused of any crime. Konanki can be seen wearing the white, sorong-style dress that authorities found on a beach chair after she vanished. Key Witness In American College Student's Disappearance Tells Police How They Met, What Happened On Beach Other footage obtained by Noticias SIN from the RIU Republica lobby shows Konanki with her friends before her disappearance. Read On The Fox News App Konanki and Riibe were both staying at the RIU Republica on separate trips to Punta Cana. Riibe had arrived with a friend on March 1, and Konanki had arrived with five friends from Pitt on March 3. American College Student Disappears In Dominican Republic: Timeline Around 4:15 a.m. on March 6, Konanki was part of a group of six women and two men, including Riibe, seen on surveillance video approaching the beach. Six of them came back around 6 a.m., leaving Konanki alone on the beach with Riibe. He came back alone around 10 a.m. He sat with police for multiple interviews, including one Wednesday that is recorded on a transcript obtained by Fox News. According to the document, Riibe said he and Konanki were talking in the water when a "big wave" hit them, the transcript reads. There was a red-flag warning on the beach at the time, indicating a warning for people not to go swimming in rough surf. Hotel Horror Stories Emerge After American College Student Goes Missing As Resort Insists No Connection "[W]ith the water's pullback, it dragged us further into the sea," he said. "As soon as we surfaced, we tried to call for help, but no one was there." Riibe is a former pool lifeguard. He said he struggled to pull Konanki ashore, according to the transcript. Once they were on their feet, he said she walked away to get her belongings and he threw up and passed out. He told police she was walking in knee-deep water when he last saw her. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia said it could not validate Wednesday's transcript but that it was consistent with what Riibe told two Loudoun detectives sent down to assist in the investigation. "Mr. Riibe is not a suspect in any way shape or form," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital, adding that the Dominican Republic is leading the investigation. Missing American In Dominican Republic: No Suspects As Search For Sudiksha Konanki Reaches One Week Riibe's lawyer, Beatriz Santana, declined to comment on the case or her client's interviews with police. Riibe's parents issued a statement through their attorney on Friday taking issue with Dominican authorities' handling of the case. "Despite his full willingness to cooperate, Josh has been detained under irregular conditions and subjected to extensive questioning without the presence of official translators or legal counsel until Wednesday, March 12," his parents, Albert and Tina Riibe, said through their attorneys. His parents said the 22-year-old "has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6, where he has been interrogated for long hours." "This situation has raised serious concern within his family, which has led us to retain legal counsel to initiate legal actions ensuring his safety and the protection of his rights throughout this process," they said. The family said they were willing to continue cooperating with search efforts and wanted to share their "deep sorrow and solidarity" with Konanki's family. "Above all, we wish to contribute to the search efforts and understand the anguish and uncertainty they are going through and we share the hope that Sudiksha will be found as soon as possible," they said. "Joshua Riibe is deeply dismayed by her disappearance and has fully cooperated in the search and clarification of the facts from the very beginning." Fox News' Michael Ruiz and Bryan Llenas contributed to this article source: Missing American college student seen in new hotel security footage before disappearance
Fox News
17-03-2025
- Fox News
Missing American college student seen in new hotel security footage before disappearance
Missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki is seen in recently released security camera footage obtained by local news from the hotel where she was staying in the Dominican Republic before she vanished. Konanki, 20, was last seen on the beach with a witness identified as 22-year-old Joshua Riibe of Iowa around 4:50 a.m. on March 6. The pair had been out drinking with friends at the RIU Republica in Punta Cana before Riibe said they went for a swim during a red-flag warning. The footage obtained by Noticias SIN from a hotel bar shows Konanki and Riibe drinking before the Pitt student vanished. No suspects have been named in connection with her disappearance, and Riibe has only been identified as a witness and has not been accused of any crime. Konanki can be seen wearing the white, sorong-style dress that authorities found on a beach chair after she vanished. Other footage obtained by Noticias SIN from the RIU Republica lobby shows Konanki with her friends before her disappearance. Konanki and Riibe were both staying at the RIU Republica on separate trips to Punta Cana. Riibe had arrived with a friend on March 1, and Konanki had arrived with five friends from Pitt on March 3. Around 4:15 a.m. on March 6, Konanki was part of a group of six women and two men, including Riibe, seen on surveillance video approaching the beach. Six of them came back around 6 a.m., leaving Konanki alone on the beach with Riibe. He came back alone around 10 a.m. He sat with police for multiple interviews, including one Wednesday that is recorded on a transcript obtained by Fox News. According to the document, Riibe said he and Konanki were talking in the water when a "big wave" hit them, the transcript reads. There was a red-flag warning on the beach at the time, indicating a warning for people not to go swimming in rough surf. "[W]ith the water's pullback, it dragged us further into the sea," he said. "As soon as we surfaced, we tried to call for help, but no one was there." Riibe is a former pool lifeguard. He said he struggled to pull Konanki ashore, according to the transcript. Once they were on their feet, he said she walked away to get her belongings and he threw up and passed out. He told police she was walking in knee-deep water when he last saw her. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia said it could not validate Wednesday's transcript but that it was consistent with what Riibe told two Loudoun detectives sent down to assist in the investigation. "Mr. Riibe is not a suspect in any way shape or form," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital, adding that the Dominican Republic is leading the investigation. Riibe's lawyer, Beatriz Santana, declined to comment on the case or her client's interviews with police. Riibe's parents issued a statement through their attorney on Friday taking issue with Dominican authorities' handling of the case. "Despite his full willingness to cooperate, Josh has been detained under irregular conditions and subjected to extensive questioning without the presence of official translators or legal counsel until Wednesday, March 12," his parents, Albert and Tina Riibe, said through their attorneys. His parents said the 22-year-old "has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6, where he has been interrogated for long hours." "This situation has raised serious concern within his family, which has led us to retain legal counsel to initiate legal actions ensuring his safety and the protection of his rights throughout this process," they said. The family said they were willing to continue cooperating with search efforts and wanted to share their "deep sorrow and solidarity" with Konanki's family. "Above all, we wish to contribute to the search efforts and understand the anguish and uncertainty they are going through and we share the hope that Sudiksha will be found as soon as possible," they said. "Joshua Riibe is deeply dismayed by her disappearance and has fully cooperated in the search and clarification of the facts from the very beginning."
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Legal fight over American college student's resort disappearance could come down to who was ‘reckless': lawyer
Prior to the disappearance of an American college student in the Dominican Republic, she and the last people she was seen with on March 6 had been drinking before deciding to swim in rough surf, prompting questions about liability that the resort where they were staying could potentially face. In the early morning hours of March 6, Sudiksha Konanki and her friends walked from a hotel bar to the beach outside the RIU Republica in Punta Cana, where she was staying with five female friends from the University of Pittsburgh. The 20-year-old apparently went for a swim with a 22-year-old man named Joshua Riibe, of Iowa, who has been identified as a witness in her disappearance. Riibe apparently told Dominican Republic authorities that they went swimming and were struck by a large wave, which is the last time he saw her. "I was over at the Natalee Holloway investigation way back when. And although there are some similarities here, there are some differences," Chris Swecker, former FBI Criminal Investigative Division assistant director, told Fox News Digital. "But in this case, I think it's plausible, based on everything that I've read, that it is a drowning.… I don't think it's an outlandish assumption here, based on the facts, that they were both pretty drunk." Key Witness In American College Student's Disappearance Tells Police How They Met, What Happened On Beach Riibe told police he had been drinking vodka with 7Up and tequila shots, adding that the group of women he had been with purchased "pink tequila shots" that they drank as a group. Read On The Fox News App On the beach, he and Konanki went in the water while two of her female friends stayed ashore. Riibe and Konanki were talking when a "big wave" hit them, Riibe said. There was a red-flag warning on the beach at the time, indicating a warning for people not to go swimming in rough surf. American College Student Disappears In Dominican Republic: Timeline In January, four tourists drowned near Punta Cana, when a red flag warned of strong currents and rough seas, according to The Associated Press. "When it comes to the ocean… if you don't recover a body pretty quick, then the sea life is going to take care of it," Swecker said. "And we haven't seen a body wash up by now." Swecker, who is also a lawyer, added that he could "definitely see a liability issue for the resort" in connection with Konanki's disappearance. Missing American In Dominican Republic: No Suspects As Search For Sudiksha Konanki Reaches One Week "Depending on industry standards for a resort like that, where there are enough cameras, whether… people were outside the hotel because of a power outage. Should there have been security on the beach?" he asked. Just two hours prior to Konanki's disappearance, RIU Republica had resolved a nearly 25-hour-long electricity outage that impacted about 30% of the resort, leaving some people without light, water, Wi-Fi, or electricity in their rooms to charge phones or other electronics. "In response to publications linking the electrical failure experienced at the Riu Republica hotel with the tragic disappearance of guest Sudiksha Chowdary Konanki, RIU Hotels & Resorts wishes to firmly clarify that both events are completely unrelated," RIU Resorts & Hotels previously told Fox News Digital in a statement. The hotel parent company added that the RIU Republica's staff's efforts "were exemplary in terms of dedication, commitment, and professionalism in resolving a severe technical failure within hours and mitigating the effects it had on services throughout that time." Luis Vilchez, a lawyer in the Dominican Republic, does not think the resort will be held liable unless the guests prove that "the hotel or its employees acted recklessly." "Similarly, regarding beach swimming conditions, it would have to be demonstrated that the hotel failed to provide adequate signage to inform guests about the proper use of the beach," Vilchez told Fox News Digital. "If the guest acted recklessly, the hotel would, in principle, not be held liable – for example, if the guest swam outside designated hours when no lifeguard was on duty and despite visible danger signs, such as red flags indicating bad weather." He continued: "In this particular case, I do not see grounds for a claim against the resort when two adults failed to follow the safety measures established by the hotel to prevent accidents. That is, it would be necessary to prove that the hotel was negligent in indicating, communicating or enforcing the safety measures." Swecker said it would be possible for Konanki's family to sue the resort for negligence if there was "insufficient security," "insufficient lighting on the beach" or for failing to close or secure the beach during a red-flag warning. Fox News Digital reached out to RIU Republica for comment. Hotel Horror Stories Emerge After American College Student Goes Missing As Resort Insists No Connection Konanki was last seen on surveillance footage walking from RIU Republica to the beach with seven other people, including five females and two males, around 4:15 a.m. on March 6. She was last seen on the beach around 4:50 a.m., according to the Dominican Republic prosecutor's office and the hotel. Hotel surveillance footage then shows a group of six people, including five women and one man, returning to the hotel from the beach around 5:55 a.m. The young man previously seen with Konanki is seen on surveillance footage entering the interior of the hotel around 9 a.m. on March 6. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office at 703-777-1021. To remain anonymous, call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. Fox News' Michael Ruiz and Ashley Papa contributed to this article source: Legal fight over American college student's resort disappearance could come down to who was 'reckless': lawyer
Fox News
17-03-2025
- Fox News
Legal fight over American college student's resort disappearance could come down to who was ‘reckless': lawyer
Prior to the disappearance of an American college student in the Dominican Republic, she and the last people she was seen with on March 6 had been drinking before deciding to swim in rough surf, prompting questions about liability that the resort where they were staying could potentially face. In the early morning hours of March 6, Sudiksha Konanki and her friends walked from a hotel bar to the beach outside the RIU Republica in Punta Cana, where she was staying with five female friends from the University of Pittsburgh. The 20-year-old apparently went for a swim with a 22-year-old man named Joshua Riibe, of Iowa, who has been identified as a witness in her disappearance. Riibe apparently told Dominican Republic authorities that they went swimming and were struck by a large wave, which is the last time he saw her. "I was over at the Natalee Holloway investigation way back when. And although there are some similarities here, there are some differences," Chris Swecker, former FBI Criminal Investigative Division assistant director, told Fox News Digital. "But in this case, I think it's plausible, based on everything that I've read, that it is a drowning.… I don't think it's an outlandish assumption here, based on the facts, that they were both pretty drunk." Riibe told police he had been drinking vodka with 7Up and tequila shots, adding that the group of women he had been with purchased "pink tequila shots" that they drank as a group. On the beach, he and Konanki went in the water while two of her female friends stayed ashore. Riibe and Konanki were talking when a "big wave" hit them, Riibe said. There was a red-flag warning on the beach at the time, indicating a warning for people not to go swimming in rough surf. In January, four tourists drowned near Punta Cana, when a red flag warned of strong currents and rough seas, according to The Associated Press. "When it comes to the ocean… if you don't recover a body pretty quick, then the sea life is going to take care of it," Swecker said. "And we haven't seen a body wash up by now." Swecker, who is also a lawyer, added that he could "definitely see a liability issue for the resort" in connection with Konanki's disappearance. "Depending on industry standards for a resort like that, where there are enough cameras, whether… people were outside the hotel because of a power outage. Should there have been security on the beach?" he asked. Just two hours prior to Konanki's disappearance, RIU Republica had resolved a nearly 25-hour-long electricity outage that impacted about 30% of the resort, leaving some people without light, water, Wi-Fi, or electricity in their rooms to charge phones or other electronics. "In response to publications linking the electrical failure experienced at the Riu Republica hotel with the tragic disappearance of guest Sudiksha Chowdary Konanki, RIU Hotels & Resorts wishes to firmly clarify that both events are completely unrelated," RIU Resorts & Hotels previously told Fox News Digital in a statement. The hotel parent company added that the RIU Republica's staff's efforts "were exemplary in terms of dedication, commitment, and professionalism in resolving a severe technical failure within hours and mitigating the effects it had on services throughout that time." Luis Vilchez, a lawyer in the Dominican Republic, does not think the resort will be held liable unless the guests prove that "the hotel or its employees acted recklessly." "If the guest acted recklessly, the hotel would, in principle, not be held liable." "Similarly, regarding beach swimming conditions, it would have to be demonstrated that the hotel failed to provide adequate signage to inform guests about the proper use of the beach," Vilchez told Fox News Digital. "If the guest acted recklessly, the hotel would, in principle, not be held liable – for example, if the guest swam outside designated hours when no lifeguard was on duty and despite visible danger signs, such as red flags indicating bad weather." He continued: "In this particular case, I do not see grounds for a claim against the resort when two adults failed to follow the safety measures established by the hotel to prevent accidents. That is, it would be necessary to prove that the hotel was negligent in indicating, communicating or enforcing the safety measures." Swecker said it would be possible for Konanki's family to sue the resort for negligence if there was "insufficient security," "insufficient lighting on the beach" or for failing to close or secure the beach during a red-flag warning. Fox News Digital reached out to RIU Republica for comment. Konanki was last seen on surveillance footage walking from RIU Republica to the beach with seven other people, including five females and two males, around 4:15 a.m. on March 6. She was last seen on the beach around 4:50 a.m., according to the Dominican Republic prosecutor's office and the hotel. Hotel surveillance footage then shows a group of six people, including five women and one man, returning to the hotel from the beach around 5:55 a.m. The young man previously seen with Konanki is seen on surveillance footage entering the interior of the hotel around 9 a.m. on March 6. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office at 703-777-1021. To remain anonymous, call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Hotel horror stories emerge after American college student goes missing as resort insists no connection
The Dominican Republic resort where University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki went missing last week experienced a lengthy power outage just hours before Konanki vanished, the resort company and guests told Fox News Digital. Konanki, a 20-year-old Virginia resident, was seen for the last time after 4 a.m. on March 6, apparently walking on the beach outside the RIU Republica Resort in Punta Cana, according to authorities and a flyer being circulated online. Less than two hours before the University of Pittsburgh student disappeared, power was restored at the five-star, adults-only RIU Republica, where she was staying with five female friends, following an approximately 22-hour outage. "[T]he electrical issue started on Wednesday [March] 5 at 1 AM. But the same was solved on Thursday [March] 6 at 3 AM, so when the guests went to the beach past 4 AM, the electricity had already recovered hours ago. So one thing has nothing to do with the other," RIU Hotels told Fox News Digital in a statement, presumably referring to Konanki's disappearance and the outage. American College Student Disappears In Dominican Republic: Timeline The Dominican Republic, which is currently under a State Department Level 2 travel advisory and shares a border with Level 4 Haiti, experiences almost daily blackouts in certain areas that can last for more than 10 hours, according to the OPEC Fund for International Development. Read On The Fox News App "Our commitment to the well-being and comfort of our guests is our priority, so we deeply regret the power failure that affected the Riu Republica Hotel last week," RIU Hotels said. "From the moment the problem was detected, in the early hours of Wednesday, March 5, until it was completely resolved in the early hours of Thursday, March 6, the hotel team worked tirelessly to resolve the problem rapidly and thus restore all services, which happened progressively during that period of time." Missing American College Student's Hometown Sheriff Names Person Of Interest Five Days Into Search The hotel parent company added that members of the RIU Republica's staff "have been doing their best to mitigate the inconveniences generated by this situation. "Despite this, we are aware of the inconvenience that this event generated for the affected guests. For this reason, RIU has established a compensation policy that will apply to all those customers who process their claim through official channels, either directly with RIU Hotels or with the travel provider with whom they made their reservation," RIU Hotels said. American College Student Missing In Dominican Republic Didn't Drown, Natalee Holloway Private Eye Believes Konanki was reportedly walking with a young man just before she vanished, La Policia Nacional, the country's national police force, said in a translated statement. Several guests who spoke with Fox News Digital expressed their concerns with the power and water outage, as well as other safety concerns at the RIU Republica. Various recent Google reviews also complain about power and water issues. Police Reveal Male Friend Is Under Investigation Following Konanki's Disappearance "I understand it's spring break, but this is terrible," Nick Musca said. "The water doesn't work. There was no power yesterday. This is terrible." D'Lani Sweeney described her stay at the RIU Republica as "the spring break trip from Hell" on TikTok but noted that most staff members were very accommodating and tried to make guests comfortable when problems arose. "People were staying out later by the pools or on the beach because they had no AC in their rooms," Sweeney told Fox News Digital. "It was so hot, and that's kind of the only way they could cool down or have any … relaxation at all. It just makes me a little bit mad and also … sad." Sweeney described using bottled water to brush her teeth in her hotel room and using outlets in the hotel's lobby or gym to charge her phone. Due to the power outage, there was no Wi-Fi service in certain areas of the resort. People without international phone plans who were using Wi-Fi to contact people overseas had trouble connecting with friends or family to explain the situation, she said. Missing American College Student's Spring Break Disappearance 'Too Early' To Rule Drowning Additionally, the resort had red flags on the beach to warn travelers about strong currents and big waves around the time of the outages. "We could see the beach, and it was pitch black," Sweeney said of the beach at night. "We'd also been on the beach before, even when power was on, and there was a little trickle of light … so in a power outage, you can't see anything at all. "There are no lights or lanterns or anything on the beach to kind of illuminate it to help someone if they are on the beach. When you go down there, you can't see anything. The only anything that you can see is just … pitch black — maybe a couple stars in the sky or lights from surrounding resorts farther down the beach. And then you can just only hear like the waves of the ocean." A woman who stayed at a different RIU resort in Punta Cana about a week prior to Konanki's disappearance and opted to be identified by her first name, Woeser, said the resort felt safe overall, but she had similar trouble using power outlets and had one strange experience with a man who did not speak English at a club on the resort property. "We were there sitting at the bar, and two guys came over to us. We were just talking," Woeser told Fox News Digital. One of the men opted to communicate with Woeser and her friend using Google Translate on his phone. At one point, Woeser's friend said it was too loud and went outside to get some air. Woeser then went to use the bathroom. When she got back to the bar, she forgot her friend had stepped outside and asked the man using Google Translate that she was speaking to previously if he knew where her friend went. "On his Google Translate app, he was saying…'Oh, you're alone. You shouldn't be here. Let's go to the beach." Woeser felt the comment was "suspicious" and recorded him, but her friend returned before they could say anything more to each other. American College Student Believed To Have Drowned In Big Wave: Report The FBI and Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia are involved in the search for the missing Pitt student. All of the friends she traveled with have been accounted for. "The ongoing investigation includes wide-ranging search efforts, along with a review of surveillance video and telephone records," the sheriff's office said in a Monday press release. "Interviews are also continuing with anyone who may have seen or been with Konanki before she went missing. The LCSO has filed for a Yellow Notice (worldwide police alert for a missing person) to be issued by INTERPOL." The sheriff's office added that "[t]here has been considerable public speculation about what may have happened to Konanki and who may be involved." "We caution anyone from drawing any unsubstantiated conclusions and are committed to ensuring that a thorough investigation is conducted before any conclusions are reached," they said in a news release. "The LCSO is hopeful for the safe return of Sudiksha Konanki, and we are committed to supporting this investigation and her family in every way possible." Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the LCSO at 703-777-1021. To remain anonymous, call the Loudoun Crime Solvers at article source: Hotel horror stories emerge after American college student goes missing as resort insists no connection
