The Morgan Hill Times has confirmed that Martin Mendoza, a person of interest in the death of 18-year-old Marissa DiNapoli, is being held in a jail cell in El Centro, California.
He was arrested around 2pm Sunday, July 6 by U.S. Marshalls, according to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office.
Jail databases accessible via the web show a 20-year-old “MARTIN JR MENDOZA” with a November birthdate was booked into the jail on Sunday, July 6.
Asked if Mendoza was from Morgan Hill and a person of interest in a murder case there, an Imperial County sheriff’s deputy with access to jail records told the Times, “He’s the one.”
The Imperial County jail where he is being held is 533 miles south of Morgan Hill and just two miles north of the international border with Mexico. The city of Mexicali sits on the other side.
According to Morgan Hill Police, Marissa DiNapoli was last seen on June 29 at approximately 9:45am in the company of Martin Mendoza, leaving a residence on Trail Drive, just outside Morgan Hill city limits.
Her body was found three days later, approximately three miles from the residence. The intensive volunteer-led search located her under a bridge near Anderson Lake.
Her death shattered a community. Family and friends held a candlelight vigil at the bridge following the identification of her body. Mendoza’s capture by federal authorities will no doubt provide some small relief to family members who urged Mendoza to turn himself in, and to the local law enforcement community, members of whom worked intensely to locate him for questioning.
Thank God! Waiting for a report that he is returned to Santa Clara County!
The family is grateful for all of the support and concern that the community and friends provided for them through this most difficult ordeal
Justice for Marissa and now the grieving and healing can begin for our family
What happened to young Marissa sickens my stomach & just can’t relate to this sort of “evil” behavior. It seems to happen too often across the nation to our young, beautiful girls/women. My prayers for healing for her family & friends, as this sort of loss stays with you forever & even changes your mindset on who you are. I always keep my 2 teenage granddaughters in my prayers, due to this sort of issues.