The man believed to be the last person who saw missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki has demanded that he be allowed to go home.
Joshua Riibe, 22, from Iowa, was named a person of interest in the case of the missing 20-year-old and has been repeatedly grilled by authorities.
But, he can no longer be detained without being charged, his attorney, Beatriz Santana, said in a motion filed Monday, according to local news network Noticias SIN.
Riibe was with investigators and his attorney on a Punta Cana beach early Sunday and was seen pointing toward the ocean.
“I’m just trying to help them out,” he told NBC News, adding, “The ocean is a dangerous place.”
Konanki, 20, arrived with five friends at the Riu Republica Hotel to celebrate spring break and disappeared.
The resort’s surveillance footage showed both Riibe and Konanki vomiting separately at a bar at 4:05 a.m. on March 6 before they walked to the beach, according to video posted by Noticias SIN.
In the video, Konanki is seen drinking with friends at the hotel, before she leaves the group and appears to throw up outside the hotel bar before rejoining her friends.
Also pictured in the video is a man identified as Riibe, who is seen in the video hunched over, also appearing to be sick.
Riibe and Konanki are not seen interacting with each other at any point in the video.
A second video shows Riibe holding a cup and placing his arm around Konanki as they trailed the group at 4:15 a.m.
At about 4:55 a.m., the hotel security camera system showed two of her friends returning to the hotel.
The footage later shows Riibe, barefoot and shirtless, as he walked back to his room at 8:54 a.m. alone.
Riibe, who was previously was named a person of interest but not a suspect, “has been confined to the hotel since the investigation began,” the law firm representing him said in a statement to NBC News, adding that the St. Cloud State University student’s passport was confiscated as part of an investigation.
“He is permanently escorted by the police anywhere he goes. So no, he is not free to leave,” they further explained.
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A source told Noticias SIN Riibe’s habeas corpus petition hearing will be held Tuesday afternoon.
Riibe told authorities in one of many interrogations that he and Konanki kissed in the ocean before both were nearly swept away in the rough waters.
He said he almost lost consciousness but managed to get both to safety.
But under his attorneys’ advice, Riibe refused to answer several questions, and issued the same response: “My lawyers advise me not to answer that question and I follow their advice.”
Riibe did tell ABC News early Monday, “I just hope to go home.”
When asked by the network if he knew what happened to Konanki, Riibe replied, “No comment,” but did add, “It’s very sad.”