US scholar’s spring break disappearance ‘too early’ to rule drowning: sheriff | USAEMALL.com

A sheriff in Virginia is pushing back against the narrative that a missing University of Pittsburgh student from his county drowned in the Dominican Republic, saying that it is “too early to rule anything out.”

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie on “America Reports” that they are “pursuing every angle” in the disappearance of 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki, who was last seen on a beach in Punta Cana.

“As you know, the Dominican authorities are working hard. They’re conducting interviews and looking over phones and trying to get the best information available,” he said. “We’re working with our officers and our State Department and our U.S. Embassy down there and the FBI and others that have been all part of this thing since this investigation began.”

Konanki was on vacation with five other female University of Pittsburgh students before her disappearance in the early morning hours on March 6, officials said.

AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT BELIEVED TO HAVE DROWNED IN BIG WAVE: REPORT

Sudiksha Konanki in a Facebook selfie photo. The 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh junior has been missing since March 6, when she vanished during a spring break trip to a five-star resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Sudiksha Konanki/Facebook)

Konanki, who was studying pre-med, was last seen walking along the beach on the Caribbean island, three Dominican officials told ABC News.

One person allegedly stayed behind with her until the early morning hours, the outlet reported, citing an investigative police report. Authorities in the Dominican Republic said that Konanki and this person went for a swim and were caught in a big wave.

PITT STUDENT VANISHES ON SPRING BREAK TRIP TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WHILE WALKING ON BEACH 

Investigators later were questioning a “young man” who went into the waters of the beach around the time Konanki vanished, the Dominican Republic newspaper Listin Diario reported. 

Chapman said that they want to “turn over every rock” before concluding what happened to Konanki, declining to comment on whom authorities questioned.

“Before we comment on who exactly they’re talking to, and what kind of information they are getting at this point is too premature,” he said.

Sudiksha Konanki appears in an undated photo on her TikTok profile. She was last seen on March 6 at a resort beach in Punta Cana. (@sudikshakonanki/TikTok)

On Monday, authorities in the Dominican Republic were using drones, helicopters and dogs to search for Konanki, the Associated Press reported. 

“The search is underway at sea because it’s presumed she drowned. According to the boy who was with her, the waves swept her away, but that is under police investigation,” Jensen Sánchez, a Civil Defense spokesperson, told the AP.

Konanki’s parents flew to Punta Cana after learning about their daughter’s disappearance, according to WTOP. Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, and a family friend reportedly filed a complaint on Sunday calling for local police to expand the investigation.

“It’s four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore,” Konanki’s father told WTOP. “She’s not found, so we’re asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.”

“Her belongings, including personal items like her phone and wallet, were left with her friends, which is unusual because she always carried her phone with her,” the outlet quoted her father writing in the complaint. “In light of these circumstances, I respectfully request that the authorities take immediate steps to investigate not only the possibility of an accidental drowning, but also the possibility of a kidnapping or foul play.” 

Tourists walk along the shore of the beach partially covered by sargassum at Bibijagua Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on May 20, 2023.  (FELIX LEON/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. Department of State – Travel Advisory

College students are flocking to popular spring break destinations outside the United States, including Cancún, Mexico and Punta Cana. The destinations – while offering vacation options for college students – are under travel advisories of the U.S. Department of State.

The Dominican Republic has a Level 2 travel advisory, which means travelers are to exercise increased caution during their visit and be aware of “heightened risks to safety and security.”

“The wide availability of weapons, the use and trade of illicit drugs and a weak criminal justice system contribute to the high level of criminality on the broader scale,” according to the travel advisory.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.