03-07-2025
Body found in search for missing teenager last seen with her obsessed boyfriend
A body has been found in the search for a missing 18-year-old who disappeared over the weekend with her 'obsessed' boyfriend.
Marissa DiNapoli was last heard from on Saturday, when she texted her family to say she was going to stay overnight with a friend.
Police believe she was last seen the next morning at 9:45am in Morgan Hill, California with her boyfriend, named as Martin Mendoza, who officials say is considered a person of interest in her disappearance, per ABC7.
She was last seen with Mendoza leaving a home outside of Morgan Hill, around three miles from where a body was found on Wednesday night near the Anderson Reservoir.
Officials have not yet established if the body is DiNapoli, as they were unable to make a positive identification because of the condition of the body, and are awaiting a forensic pathology report.
DiNapoli's car was later found in the same area where she was last seen, with cops now urgently searching for Mendoza.
Friends of DiNapoli told NBC Bay Area that she had previously shared that she was fearful of Mendoza, claiming that she told them, '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.'
Police believe she was last seen the next morning at 9:45am in Morgan Hill, California with her boyfriend, named as Martin Mendoza (pictured), who officials say is considered a person of interest in her disappearance
California cops said they contacted Mendoza during the search, but he was not cooperative with investigators and was considered a person of interest soon after.
He is believed to be driving a white Toyota Camry with a license plate of either CW87W00 or 9PTM351.
DiNapoli's friend Jaslyn Gutierrez said that the teen had told her about her fears that Mendoza would 'kill her' during their relationship.
Gutierrez added that she had known DiNapoli for years, and said they 'had a bond that nobody could break'.
Several of DiNapoli's friends said that the area around Anderson Lake where the body was found was a place the couple had been known to hang out at.
Family friend Serina Soque added that some of DiNapoli's loved ones contacted Mendoza during the search, and claimed that he, 'tried to say he wasn't Martin and then followed that with he hasn't spoken to her for two weeks'.
Soque claimed that there is a 'video of him on the 29th (of June) and leaving with her', however Daily Mail has not independently verified this.
In a press release on Wednesday before the body was found, officials addressed DiNapoli directly, urging her to come forward.
'Marissa, if you are reading this press release, please contact the Morgan Hill Police Department,' the release said.
Law enforcement sources told NBC Bay Area that it was DiNapoli's own family who found the body on Wednesday, after her loved ones had been searching the surrounding area for days.
She is described as a Hispanic woman, about 5 feet tall, weighing about 100 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.
DiNapoli graduated from Opportunity Youth Academy three weeks ago, and her teacher Tara Guerrero, who was helping the search, said she was a bright and kind person.
'Every student in my class touches my heart, but her especially. She had the brightest smile that would light up every room, she was friends and friendly with everyone who came into our classroom,' she said.
'She's just one of those kids that leaves a mark on your heart, and I have a broken heart right now. I consider her one of my own children.'
