Morgan Hill police: Can't immediately ID body found near Anderson Reservoir
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.
MORGAN HILL, Calif. - 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.
Capt. Mario Ramirez said they will now have to wait for a further medical examination on the body that was discovered Wednesday at about 7:30 p.m. near the Woodchopper Flats picnic area at the reservoir. Officials revealed that they had sent up a drone with cameras, which spotted the body.
Ramirez did not describe the condition of the body or give any update on when that identification will be made, but they did say the exam would take place on Thursday.
Typically, Ramirez said that they can take samples from the field and send them directly to the coroner's office for a quick ID, like a fingerprint.
Then, police said, the medical examination would double-check that ID and confirm the cause of death.
In this case, Ramirez said the condition of the body is in too poor a shape to make a quick ID.
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.
Immediate speculation
What we don't know:
The immediate speculation was that the body might belong to 18-year-old Marissa DiNapoli, who was last seen the morning of June 29 and reported missing the following day. She said she was staying with a friend and would return home the next day.
DeNapoli's friends told KTVU on Wednesday that they printed more than 200 posters and flyers and posted them around the Anderson Reservoir, where they had been searching for her.
"She was like my own child," one of DiNapoli's former teachers, Tara Guerrero, said. "She has a small place in my heart."
Police said the man last seen with DeNapoli, Martin Mendoza, is considered a "person of interest" in the case.
Police also said Mendoza had been uncooperative with the investigation.
After one conversation with him, police said, they are now unable to find him.
Police say Mendoza may be driving a white Toyota Camry with either CW87W00 or 9PTM351 license plates.
The FBI is now helping Morgan Hill police in the search.