Body found near Anderson Reservoir ID'd as missing Morgan Hill woman, Marissa DiNapoli

Body found near Anderson Reservoir ID'd as Marissa DiNapoli

Morgan Hill police identified DiNapoli's ex-boyfriend as a person of interest, and are still searching for him.

MORGAN HILL, Calif. - Morgan Hill authorities on Thursday positively identified a body that was found near the Anderson Reservoir as belonging to 18-year-old Marissa DiNapoli.

Morgan Hill Police Department said in a statement that they were devastated to report the news.

DiNapoli’s family released a statement through the police department asking for privacy in the wake of the positive identification.

"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," DiNapoli’s family said in the statement. "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. Thank you for understanding and respecting our wishes during this deeply personal time."

DiNapoli's family last heard from her at 9:16 p.m. on Saturday through a text message that said she was planning to stay with a friend and would return home the next day.

Then, she was last seen on Sunday at 9:45 a.m. leaving a home on Trail Drive with a person of interest who was identified by police as Martin Mendoza, her ex-boyfriend.

Police say they found DiNapoli's car in the area of Trail Drive, where she was last seen, on the outskirts of Morgan Hill. A drone spotted DiNapoli's body on Wednesday night. 

Police said Mendoza was "uncooperative" with their initial investigation and is now considered a person of interest, according to a MHPD statement. However, police said on Thursday they are "actively seeking out other leads as well."

"We are still trying to get a hold of Mr. Mendoza, we’re actively asking for his cooperation," said MHPD Capt. Mario Ramirez. "We’ve tried contacting him multiple times through his cell phone as well as through his family, and he’s yet to take the olive branch to speak with us."

Morgan Hill police: Can't immediately ID body found near Anderson Reservoir

Morgan Hill police said on Thursday that because of the condition of the body found near the Anderson River, they were unable to make a positive identification of who it is.

Community Mourns:

Community members erected a small memorial at a Morgan Hill Starbucks where DiNapoli worked.

Angelina Villafranca works at a cookie shop next door to the Starbucks where DiNapoli worked, and recalled speaking with her not long before she was reported missing.

"I just saw her the other day. She was so sweet. She was always helping. She was always smiling," Villafranca said.

Villafranca is only a year older than DiNapoli, who graduated from Opportunity Youth Academy just weeks before her disappearance.

"Its like ‘wow.’ She was 18. She had so much ahead of her," Villafranca said.