- Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, went missing in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 6.
- She was on spring break with friends and was last seen on the beach near her hotel at around 4:50 a.m.
- The FBI joined the investigation into her disappearance and U.S. detectives have been sent to the Dominican Republic.
After almost a week, authorities continue the search for Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student who went missing on a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic last week.
The FBI announced on Monday that they would be joining the investigation and Konanki’s local sheriff’s department has sent detectives to the Dominican Republic, according to ABC.
Who is Sudiksha Konanki?
Konanki is a 20-year-old junior at the University of Pittsburgh, studying biology. She is an Indian citizen and a permanent U.S. resident from Chantilly, Virginia, according to ABC.
She and five female friends traveled to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 3 for spring break.
When did Sudiksha Konanki go missing?
Konanki disappeared from the beach of the Riu Republica Hotel, early in the morning on Thursday, March 6, per CNN.
After going to a night club on Wednesday night, Konanki and a group of people, including her friends she had traveled with, went to the beach around 4 a.m. local time on Thursday.
Shortly after they went to the beach, Konanki’s group of friends she was traveling with returned to the hotel. The women were seen on security camera footage returning to their room, per ABC. Konanki did not return with them.
A man, who Konanki had met on the trip, stayed behind with her on the beach; police have not released the man’s name. He told police that he went for a swim with Konanki and they got caught by a big wave.
According to ABC, the man told authorities that when he returned to the beach he threw up and fell asleep on a beach bed. When he woke, Konanki was nowhere to be found.
The man was captured by security cameras returning to his hotel room at 8:55 a.m.
Konanki was last seen around 4:50 a.m. and the hotel reported that a power outage, which sent several guests out to the beach, happened at the same time, per The Hill.
Her clothes were found near the beach where she went missing on a portable beach bed.
The police have not found any evidence of violence, according to NBC.
“When she was last seen, Konanki was wearing big round earrings, yellow and steel bracelets on her right hand, a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left hand, a brown bikini and a metal designer anklet on her right leg,” according to The Hill.
The investigation into Sudiksha Konanki’s disappearance
The investigation into Konanki’s disappearance has been led by authorities in the Dominican Republic, but earlier this week the F.B.I. joined the investigation and U.S. detectives have been sent to Punta Cana, per NBC.
Loudoun County Sheriff’s office, where Konanki is from, has sent detectives to the Dominican Republic to participate in the investigation. The sheriff’s office has also filed for Interpol to issue a yellow notice, which is a worldwide police alert for a missing person.
Investigators have been conducting interviews of hotel staff and Konanki’s friends.
FBI forensic technicians are also working on an analysis of video surveillance footage, from Konanki’s arrival in the Dominican Republic until after her disappearance, according to The Hill.
Police in the Dominican Republic have also been expanding the search perimeter.