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.
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.
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.
The post Body found after teen last seen with ‘obsessive’ ex-boyfriend vanished appeared first on New York Post.
