CNN —
Authorities in the Dominican Republic are interviewing a young man believed to have been with a missing student from the University of Pittsburgh right before her disappearance in Punta Cana, a local police source told CNN.
Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old United States resident, was last seen on surveillance camera with seven 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.
Police said she arrived in the country on Monday with five other people. It learned of her disappearance after 8 a.m. Friday through a call from the US Embassy in Santo Domingo.
The police investigation was able to establish that around 5:55 a.m. Thursday, surveillance cameras captured five women and one man leaving the beach, according to the source. Konanki is believed to have stayed behind with a young man, the source said.
Later surveillance video shows the man leaving the beach area at 9:55 a.m., the source said, with no sign of Konanki.
Authorities have interviewed the young man to determine what happened when the two were alone. The Dominican Police said it is broadening the investigation to corroborate the preliminary version offered by him.
Police are also questioning others last seen with Konanki on Thursday to establish where their maritime search should be focused.
Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, told CNN that his daughter had gone to Punta Cana for spring break, ahead of pre-med studies at Pittsburgh.
“My daughter is a very nice girl. She’s ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine.” He said his daughter wants to be a doctor.
His daughter told her friends Wednesday that she was heading to a party at the resort, he said.
“She went to the beach on March 6 early morning around 4 a.m. with friends and some other guys they met at the resort. After that, her friends came back after some time and my daughter did not come back, did not show up from the beach,” her father said.
Her friends later alerted authorities when she wasn’t in her room, her father said.
“So far, the authorities, multiple authorities here in the Dominican Republic have searched in the waters. They searched using helicopters and other tools. They also searched in the near bay, bushes, trees. They went multiple times around the same areas,” Subbarayudu Konanki said.
Konanki’s companions had reported her missing around 4 p.m. Thursday local time, with her last sighting some 12 hours earlier at 4 a.m., the Riu hotel chain said in a statement.
“We want to express our sincerest empathy towards the family and friends during this very difficult time. The safety and wellbeing of our guests are our highest priority, and we are committed to doing everything possible to assist in this situation,” the statement said.
The hotel chain said staff were helping authorities in their search.
Konanki was at the resort with five other female students from the University of Pittsburgh, according to the sheriff’s office in Loudoun County, Virginia, where she is a resident.
The Konanki family, originally from India, has lived in the United States since 2006 and are permanent residents.
The sheriff’s office said they were contacted Thursday evening and have followed up with “federal law enforcement, the US State Department and contacts in the Dominican Republic.”
“The embassy of India in the DR has taken the lead working with our state department and law-enforcement on the ground. Our office is supporting those efforts and continuing to investigate locally,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement to CNN.
The Dominican National Emergency System is coordinating search efforts on the island for Konanki.
“In coordination with the Tourism Police, the Civil Defense, the Dominican Navy, the National Police, and other rescue organizations, four teams of drones equipped with advanced technology have been deployed to conduct a thorough search in the coastal area of Bávaro,” the service said in a statement issued on Sunday.
The University of Pittsburgh urged anyone with information to contact the Loudoun County Sherrif’s Office.
“University officials are in contact with Sudiksha Konanki’s family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and we have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” the University of Pittsburgh said in a statement emailed to CNN.
Subbarayudu Konanki said he wants local authorities to broaden their investigation.
“They’re only looking in the water, but I want them to also investigate other possibilities including whether this is a case of kidnapping or human trafficking,” he said.
“We don’t think she would be able to survive for more than three days in the water and I think something else might’ve happened to her,” he told CNN from Punta Cana on Sunday.
The US State Department has issued a level two travel advisory in place for the Dominican Republic, warning US citizens to exercise increased caution when visiting.
“Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault, is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic,” the department said in a June 2024 travel advisory.
The State Department urged US visitors to be aware of their surroundings and not to display signs of wealth.
The Embassy of India said on Facebook that it was “extending all assistance in coordination with government authorities of the Dominican Republic.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
