Joshua Riibe, the 22-year-old Minnesota college student who was with College of Pittsburgh scholar Sudiksha Konanki the night time she went lacking on a spring break journey to the Dominican Republic, is attempting to get a brand new passport to return again to america, based on his attorneys.
Riibe’s authorized workforce confirmed to ABC Information they’re attempting to get a brand new U.S. passport for Riibe from the U.S. Embassy within the Dominican Republic.
“The U.S. Embassy is in communication with Mr. Riibe, his household, and his lawyer and is offering all applicable consular help,” the U.S. Embassy within the Dominican Republic advised ABC Information.
PHOTO: Joshua Riibe, the American being held within the Dominican Republic for interviewing within the disappearance of Pitt scholar Sudiksha Konanki, seems in courtroom, March 18, 2025. (ABC Information)
A Dominican decide dominated throughout a habeus corpus listening to Tuesday that Riibe is free to maneuver with out police surveillance across the Dominican Republic, as a result of he’s solely a witness of an accident, not a suspect. However the decide didn’t give Riibe his passport again, as a result of he stated it was not in his jurisdiction handy over the passport. The decide didn’t specify whose jurisdiction it’s to provide the passport again.
“I am unable to go anyplace. And I actually need to have the ability to go house, discuss to my household, give them hugs, inform them I miss them,” Riibe stated in courtroom on Tuesday. “I perceive I am right here to assist, but it surely’s been 10 days and I am unable to go away.”
If the U.S. Embassy within the Dominican Republic points Riibe a brand new passport, he’ll have the ability to use it to depart the nation.
MORE: Parents of missing Pittsburgh student ask Dominican police to declare her dead
Riibe stated in courtroom on Tuesday that he’s “able to go house and return to my life.”
Authorities have stated they consider Konanki died by drowning in Punta Cana early on March 6, officers advised ABC Information.
Riibe, who met Konanki that night time, advised prosecutors the 2 went swimming and kissed within the ocean. The 2 had been then hit by a wave and pulled into the ocean by the tide, based on a transcript supplied to ABC Information from two Dominican Republic sources.
PHOTO: Sudiksha Konanki is seen on this undated picture shared to Meta. (Sudiksha Konanki by way of Meta)
Riibe stated he held Konanki and tried to get them out of the water. He stated he tried to “be sure that she may breathe the whole time,” which prevented Riibe from getting in sufficient air and he “took in plenty of water.”
As soon as they touched the sand, Riibe advised prosecutors Konanki obtained as much as get her belongings, however “she was not out of the water because it was as much as her knee” and was “strolling at an angle within the water.”
“The final time I noticed her, I requested her if she was OK,” he advised prosecutors. “I did not hear her response as a result of I started to vomit with all of the water I had swallowed. After vomiting, I appeared round and I did not see something. I assumed she had taken her issues and left.”
MORE: Missing Univ. of Pittsburgh student believed to have died by drowning in Dominican Republic
Riibe stated he then handed out on a seashore chair, awakened a number of hours later and returned to his resort room.
Konanki’s household despatched a proper request on Monday to Dominican police requesting they declare their daughter dead, based on two sources with data of the investigation.
On Tuesday night, Dominican Republic’s Civil Protection stated they’re considerably scaling again the search-and-rescue efforts.
The decide will resolve if Riibe might be charged with something in a full ruling on March 28.
Man seen with missing Pittsburgh student trying to obtain new passport, lawyers say initially appeared on abcnews.go.com
Source link