𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁

𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁

Father of Man Last Seen with Sudiksha Konanki Emotionally Responds to Reporters as They Travel Back to U.S.: ‘I’m Just a Regular Human’

Joshua Riibe has now returned to the U.S. after it was reported he was no longer under police supervision following the disappearance of Konanki in the Dominican Republic on March 6

Joshua Riibe (center) in Higuey, Dominican Republic on March 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS TV/via REUTERS

The father of Joshua Riibe — the man thought to have been the last person to see 20-year-old college student Sudiksha Konanki alive in the Dominican Republic — said he’s “just a regular human” and doesn’t know how to deal with the ongoing attention surrounding his son.

Albert Riibe appeared emotional as he spoke to local station WAPA’s NotiCentro at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico on Wednesday, March 19 as he and his 22-year-old son traveled back to the U.S.

While waiting for his son, Albert initially responded with “no comment” as he was questioned by reporters, per a clip shared by the station. “I’m just a regular human, I don’t know how to do this stuff,” he then said. “I’m just a dad, who had his son taken away, and I don’t understand.”

“We just spent two weeks trying to stay together, and now…” Albert continued, before walking away.

Joshua Riibe.
Parents of Missing College Student, 20, Ask Police to Declare Their Daughter Dead 11 Days After She Vanished in Dominican Republic

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Puerto Rico team, Joshua’s lawyer and Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment on the 22-year-old’s alleged detainment.

Albert’s comments come after his son was issued a new passport at the U.S. Consulate, the law firm Guzmán Ariza confirmed to PEOPLE on Wednesday. It was reported the day prior that Joshua was no longer under police supervision in the Dominican Republic following a court hearing.

“On March 18th, following the conclusion of the habeas corpus hearing that ordered the release of our client, Joshua Riibe, the Prosecutor’s Office of La Altagracia informed him of their readiness to return his passport,” the lawyers said in a statement. “While Joshua appreciated this decision, he chose, for privacy reasons, to apply for a new passport at the U.S. Consulate, which was promptly issued.”

“We are pleased to announce that Joshua and his father are currently traveling back to their home in the United States,” the lawyers said, before later confirming that he had arrived.

Sudiksha Konanki.Sudiksha Konanki/Facebook

Joshua is believed to have been the last person to see Konanki — a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh junior and resident of Virginia’s Loudoun County — alive when they reportedly went for an early morning swim during a trip to the Dominican Republic on March 6.

Konanki hasn’t been seen since footage showed her walking on a beach at around 4:15 a.m. local time at Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana on the morning she went missing.

Despite previously being considered a person of interest, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) spokesperson Thomas Julia told PEOPLE on Wednesday that that was no longer the case.

Sudiksha Konanki.Facebook
College Student, 20, Missing in Dominican Republic Thought to Have Drowned on Early Morning Beach Walk: Report

Amid the search for Konanki, Joshua, who is a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, was reportedly kept in a hotel room in the Dominican Republic and not permitted to leave without supervision, NBC News reported.

His attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition on Monday in a bid to have him released while authorities held him following Konanki’s disappearance, Noticias SIN reported.

Authorities search for Sudiksha Konanki at the beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 6, 2025.Defensa Civil Dominicana/Facebook

Konanki’s parents, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi Konanki, have since said that they now believe that their daughter drowned in the rough currents after she and Riibe went swimming.

PEOPLE obtained a copy of the letter Konanki’s parents sent to authorities in the Dominican Republic earlier this week requesting a death declaration, and saying that they do not believe Riibe is responsible for the death of their daughter.

“The individual last seen with her is cooperating with the investigation, and no evidence of foul play has been found,” the couple wrote.