A sheriff in Virginia pushes back against the story that is missing University of Pittsburgh Student from his county drowned in the Dominican Republic and said it is “too early to exclude something.”
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie about ‘America Reports’ that they’ strive for every perspective ‘in the disappearance of the 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki, who was last seen on a beach in Punta Cana.
“As you know, the Dominican authorities work hard. They conduct interviews and watch telephones and try to get the best information available,” he said. “We work together with our officers and our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our American embassy below and the FBI and others who are all part of this thing since this investigation began.”
Konanki was on holiday with five other female students from the University of Pittsburgh before her disappearance in the early morning hours on March 6, said civil servants.
American College Student believed to have drowned in Big Wave: Report
Sudiksha Konanki on a Facebook selfie photo. The 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh Junior has been missing since 6 March, when she disappeared during a spring break to a five-star resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Sudiksha Konanki/Facebook)
Konanki, who studied pre-med, was last seen along the beach on the Caribbean island, told three Dominican officers to ABC News.
Allegedly a person lagged behind her until the early morning hours, the outlet reported, referring to an investigation policy report. Authorities in the Dominican Republic said Konanki and this person went swimming and caught in a large wave.
PITT -Student disappears on the spring break to the Dominican Republic while walking on the beach
Researchers later asked a “young man” who went around the beach around the time that Konanki disappeared, the Dominican Republic Newspaper list Diario reported.
Chapman said they “want to turn every rock” before they concluded what happened to Konanki and refused to comment on who the authorities interviewed.
“Before we comment on whom they talk to and with what kind of information they are receiving at the moment is too early,” he said.
Sudiksha Konanki appears in an undated photo on her Tiktok profile. She was last seen on March 6 in a resort beach in Punta Cana. (@Sudikshakonanki/Tiktok)
On Monday, the authorities in the Dominican Republic used drones, helicopters and dogs to look for Konanki, the Associated Press reported.
“The search is going on at sea because it is assumed that they drowned. According to the boy who was with her, the waves wiped her way, but that is under police investigation,” Jensen Sánchez, a spokesperson for the civil defense, told the AP.
Konanki’s parents flew to Punta Cana after they had heard about the disappearance of their daughter, according to WTOP. Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, and a family friend reportedly filed a complaint on Sunday For the local police To expand the investigation.
“It’s four days, and if she was in water, she would probably be littered on the coast,” Konanki’s father told WTOP. “She was not found, so we ask them to investigate multiple options, such as kidnapping or kidnapping.”
“Her possessions, including personal items such as her phone and wallet, were left with her friends, which is unusual because she always wore her phone with her,” the outlet quoted her father in the complaint. “In the light of these circumstances, I respectfully request that the authorities take immediate steps to not only investigate the possibility of a casual drowning, but also the possibility of a kidnapping or false game.”
Tourists walk along the coast of the beach partially covered by Sargassum on Bijbagua Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on May 20, 2023. (Felix Leon/AFP via Getty images)
US Department of State – Travel Advisory
Students come to popular spring break destinations outside the United States, including Canc̼n, Mexico and Punta Cana. The destinations Рwhile offering holiday options for students Рare under travel advice from the US Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Dominican Republic has one Level 2 Travel adviceWhich means that travelers have to exercise greater caution during their visit and must be aware of “increased risks to safety and security.”
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“The broad availability of weapons, the use and trade of illegal drugs and a weak criminal justice system contribute to the high level of crime on a broader scale,” said the travel advice.
Greg Norman from FOX News Digital has contributed to this report.
