Brother of Marissa DiNapoli urges ex-boyfriend to come forward, thanks community
By Zoe Hunt
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MORGAN HILL, California (KSBW) — On Thursday, Morgan Hill Police confirmed that the body found at Lake Anderson on Wednesday belonged to missing 18-year-old Marissa DiNapoli.
Her body was discovered by family and friends who were out searching.
“We want to say thank you to the entire community. From Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County, San Jose – this was a group effort. A lot of people, strangers I didn’t even know, came and volunteered to search for my sister,” said Marissa’s brother, Moses Marcos Ramirez. “Obviously, the best-case scenario would have been a different outcome, but just the fact that we were able to find her means a lot for our peace. It means a lot to have been able to know where she was, at least… to get her back to her home, even under these circumstances.”
Marissa was last seen on Sunday morning leaving the home of her ex-boyfriend, 21-year-old Martin Mendoza.
Mendoza’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
He has been labeled as a person of interest by police and is wanted for questioning.
“With Mendoza, he is still considered a person of interest. We still need to talk to him because he is the individual who was the last person we know to have been with Marissa before her passing,” said Mario Ramirez of the Morgan Hill Police Department.
Friends of the teen, who were out searching for her on Wednesday, said that Mendoza was abusive.
“Marissa had told me firsthand that he would kill her,” said Marissa’s friend, Jaslyn Gutierrez. “If Martin is moving, it’s going to be at night. He and his friends typically go out at night.”
Marissa’s family is asking that if you see Mendoza or know anything at all, you notify authorities right away.
“With Martin, if you see something, say something. This is someone who’s dangerous. This is a dangerous individual,” said Ramirez. “We do know that the police are doing their job, but this is a community effort. It’s going to take a village to get this guy in for questioning.”
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