What Happened to College Student Who Vanished on Spring Break Trip in the Dominican Republic? What We Know So Far

• Sudiksha Konanki, 20, a student at the University of Pittsburgh, recently went to the Dominican Republic for a spring break trip, according to her father
• Authorities said Konanki was last seen in the early morning hours of March 6, while walking on a beach in Punta Cana
• Here is what to know about Sudiksha’s disappearance so far

Authorities continue to search for University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, who has been missing since March 6 — but the details about what happened remain unknown.

Dominican Republic National Police previously said Konanki, 20, was with her friends at a beach resort in the town of Punta Cana. The friends returned to their hotel, but Konaki reportedly stayed behind with a man. She had not been seen since.

“The Konanki family is going through an incredibly difficult time, and we are deeply saddened,” her family said in a statement shared with USA Today. “We kindly request privacy as we cope with this challenging moment together.”

As the investigation continues, Dominican officials have said they believe she may have drowned, but the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where the student is from, disputed that theory.

Here is what we know about her disappearance so far.

Who Is Sudiksha Konanki?

In a news release shared on Sunday, March 9, the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, which is working with federal law enforcement agencies, said she is a 20-year-old female from Chantilly, Va., as well as a student at the University of Pittsburgh. The department added that Sudiksha is a citizen of India and a permanent resident in the U.S.

Speaking with CNN, her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, said his daughter is “ambitious” and wants “to pursue a career in medicine.”

According to her LinkedIn profile, Sudiksha graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria in 2022.

When contacted by PEOPLE, the University of Pittsburgh declined to comment about Sudiksha’s status as a student but shared a statement that read: “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.”

A missing persons poster described Sudiksha as 5-foot-3-inches tall with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown bikini, round earrings, an anklet and several bracelets.

Why Was She in Punta Cana?

According to her father, Sudkisha traveled to the Dominican Republic to spend time with friends. “She wanted to have a nice break with her friends in Punta Cana — she came with her friends on March 3rd,” Subbarayudu Konanki told WTOP.

In a previous statement, local police said Sudiksha was last seen in the early hours of March 6, when she entered the beach of the RIU Hotel in Punta Cana — a town known for its longest white sand coastlines.

RIU Hotels and Resorts, which was founded in 1953 in Mallorca, Spain, maintains five hotels in Punta Cana.

“At RIU Hotels, we are deeply concerned about the disappearance of one of our guests,” the company wrote in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “From the moment her absence was reported, we have been working closely with the local authorities, including the police and the navy, to conduct a thorough search.”

“We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” they added. “The safety and well-being of our guests are our highest priority, and we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation.”

Who Was She With Before Her Disappearance?

The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said that prior to her disappearance, Sudkisha was reportedly with five female college friends at a resort. Meanwhile, her father told CNN that his daughter went to the beach on March 6 “with friends and some other guys they met at the resort.”

The Dominican Republic National Police also stated that surveillance cameras captured footage of Sudiksha and “the young foreigners who accompanied her” about “a few meters from entering the beach area” around 4:15 a.m.

How Was She Discovered Missing?

Sudiksha’s father told CNN that “her friends came back after some time and my daughter did not come back, did not show up from the beach.” Additionally, two police sources told ABC News that the other women who were with Sudiksha returned to their hotel around 5:55 a.m.

According to a local police source, Sudiksha is believed to have stayed behind with a man, CNN reported. Surveillance footage captures the man leaving the beach around 9:55 a.m., but Sudiksha was nowhere to be seen.

Has Anyone Been Questioned or Arrested?

So far, no one has been charged or accused of a crime in the case.

The Dominican Republic National Police said in its March 9 statement that a person who was with Sudiksha when she entered the beach of the hotel in Punta Cana on March 6 “is under investigation.”

“It is reported that the young man who entered the waters of the aforementioned beach was interviewed during the investigation process,” said the police at the time, “which is why investigators are expanding the investigative process to corroborate the version that he offered in a preliminary manner.”

Police said on March 9 that authorities were interviewing several people “mainly the companions of the missing young woman, whose names are being withheld, in order to establish the exact location of the maritime search and its surroundings.”

What’s Next?

Following the news of Sudiksha’s disappearance, Dominican police said an exhaustive air, land and sea search has been conducted involving drones, helicopters, divers, boats, canine units and human personnel.

The Associated Press reported on Tuesday, March 11, that the FBI has also joined in the search.

Citing a Dominican Republic investigative police report, ABC News previously reported that Sudiksha may have drowned in the ocean after being caught by a big wave when she and the other person went for a swim on the beach.

However, the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office has pushed back on that, saying that they “caution anyone from drawing any unsubstantiated conclusions and are committed to ensuring that a thorough investigation is conducted before any conclusions are reached.”

“The [sheriff’s office] is hopeful for the safe return of Konanki, and we are committed to supporting this investigation and her family in every way possible,” they added.

Police sources with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News that Sudiksha’s clothes were discovered on a portable beach bed near the beach where she disappeared. There were reportedly no indications of violence.

Sudiksha’s father Subbarayudu told CNN on March 9 that he wants authorities to widen the investigation by looking into “other possibilities including whether this is a case of kidnapping or human trafficking.”