Latest news with #MorganHillPoliceDepartment
04-07-2025
Body identified as California teen reported missing days ago
An 18-year-old has been found dead just days after she was reported missing in Morgan Hill, California, according to police. A body was found amid the search for Marissa DiNapoli on Wednesday and it was positively identified as her on Thursday, according to police. DiNapoli last communicated with her family on Saturday, sending them a text after 9 p.m. saying that she planned to stay the night with a friend and would return the next day, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department. She was reported missing on Monday after she did not return home or respond to calls from family, police said. Investigators determined DiNapoli was last seen with Martin Mendoza on June 28 just before 10 a.m. when the two were seen leaving a residence just outside the city limits of Morgan Hill, police said. DiNapoli's car was later found in the same area, police said. "This is not the outcome any of us wanted and we are heartbroken by this news. Marissa was a vibrant member of our Morgan Hill community with a bright future ahead of her," police said in a statement. Mendoza was identified as a person of interest during the search for DiNapoli and remains so, according to police. Mendoza was not cooperative in the initial investigation, police said. "Detectives are actively seeking information on his whereabouts and urge anyone with knowledge to contact their local law enforcement agency immediately. Mendoza is believed to be driving a white Toyota Camry bearing either license plate CW87W00 or 9PTM351," police said in a statement Wednesday. But, police said they are actively seeking out other leads as well, asking anyone with any information to contact Detective Kyle Tolentino at (669)-253-4962. DiNapoli's family asked for privacy as they grieve. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Marissa, and at this time, our family kindly asks for privacy as we grieve and navigate this difficult journey," the family said in a statement released by police. "We appreciate the love and support from those who have reached out. In honoring Marissa's memory, we kindly ask that no GoFundMe accounts or donation pages be created. If you wish to show support, please do so through your prayers, kind words, and cherished memories," the family said.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- New York Post
Body found after teen last seen with ‘obsessive' ex-boyfriend vanished
Police discovered a body near where a teenager, who was last seen with her 'obsessive' ex-boyfriend, vanished days ago, authorities said — as they identified the ex as a person of interest. Authorities confirmed a body was found near Anderson Lake County Park in Morgan Hill, California on Wednesday — however, it could not immediately be identified as 18-year-old Marissa DiNapoli, who was last seen on Sunday. Captain Mario Ramirez of the Morgan Hill Police Department told The Post that they couldn't confirm the identification due to the condition of the body and it has been sent to the county medical examiner's office. The county park is a place where DiNapoli's ex-boyfriend, Martin Mendoza — whom she had told friends would 'kill her' — used to take her when they dated, the missing teen's friends told NBC Bay Area. DiNapoli last spoke with family members via text message the night of June 18 when she said she planned to stay with a friend for the night and would be home the following day, but she never returned, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department. She was seen on camera around 9:45 a.m. Sunday with Mendoza leaving a residence on Trail Drive — not far from the park — where DiNapoli's car was later located, according to police. 4 Marissa DiNapoli was last seen on Sunday morning leaving a residence with her ex-boyfriend. Instagram / @moniice__ 4 DiNapoli's ex, Martin Mendoza, is wanted by police as a person of interest in her disappearance. Morgan Hill Police Department Mendoza has been 'not cooperative' with investigators and has been named a person of interest, cops said. Police have asked the public to help locate Mendoza, who is believed to be driving a white Toyota Camry. Friends and family members gathered around the scene at the park Wednesday night after mounting searches in other local areas earlier in the day, NBC Bay Area reported. Jaslyn Gutierrez, who described DiNapoli as her best friend, said DiNapoli had expressed her concerns that Mendoza would harm her. 'Marissa has told me, firsthand in the car with my friends outside of my house, that he would kill her, that he would not stop, that he's obsessed with her, that he's crazy and that he's willing to go to that extent,' Gutierrez, who graduated high school with DiNapoli just weeks ago, said. 4 The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office confirmed a body was found near Anderson Lake County Park on Wednesday KNTV 4 The 18-year-old had just graduated high school weeks ago, her friends said. Instagram / @moniice__ DiNapoli's friend Serina Soque said the missing teen's family got in contact with Martin, who at first denied who he was, then said he hadn't spoken to her in weeks. The pair were not dating at the time she disappeared, DiNapoli's friends said. After breaking up, they reconnected with each other as friends in May. A person who was flying a drone near one of Anderson Lake Park's picnic areas identified a 'possible body' and called police on Wednesday, who later confirmed that a deceased person had been found, KRON4 reported. The remains will be sent to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's office to be identified, which could take several days with the long holiday weekend, Ramirez said.
