El Paso Police arrest a migrant in front of Sacred Heart Church on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
El Centro, California – Martin Mendoza Jr., 21, the person of interest in the death of 18-year-old Marissa DiNapoli, was arrested Monday on suspicion of murder, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department. Mendoza was detained Sunday in Imperial County while attempting to reenter the United States from Mexico, and taken into custody at the California-Mexico border crossing. He was being held without bail at a detention facility in El Centro prior to the formal arrest.
DiNapoli was reported missing on June 30 after she failed to return home or respond to family calls following a text message in which she said she planned to spend the night with a friend. Two days later, her body was discovered near Anderson Lake in Morgan Hill, a quiet community now shaken by the loss of a young woman described as radiant, kind, and full of promise.
Police believe DiNapoli was last seen with Mendoza around 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, the morning after she was last in contact with her family. Surveillance footage and witness statements reportedly placed the two leaving a residence on Trail Drive, not far from where her car was later recovered. Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of death, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The arrest has brought a measure of resolution but no real comfort to a family in mourning and a city searching for understanding. In a statement shared through police, the DiNapoli family asked for privacy and declined donations, instead encouraging the public to honor Marissa’s memory through prayer, kind words, and reflection.
As Morgan Hill absorbs the weight of this tragedy, local officials and educators have organized three days of community healing events. The programming includes grief counseling for students and staff, a guided healing circle for residents, and a workshop on identifying early signs of domestic violence — a reflection of the broader conversation unfolding around intimate partner violence and the often-hidden risks faced by young women.
Marissa DiNapoli’s death is not just a local tragedy. It joins a long and painful list of cases that expose the vulnerabilities of young people and the challenges law enforcement faces in preventing violence before it occurs. Mendoza’s arrest, though significant, does not erase the fact of her absence — or the broader social questions her death raises.
The Morgan Hill Police Department says it will continue to pursue the investigation while supporting the DiNapoli family and the broader community as they grieve, remember, and search for healing in the weeks ahead.
