A 20-year-old California man, Martin Mendoza Jr., is facing murder charges in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Marissa DiNapoli, 18. The incident occurred after Mendoza confronted DiNapoli about her communication with an ex-boyfriend. Security footage reveals the final moments of the young woman with Mendoza before he allegedly stabbed her multiple times in the back and left her to die near a local lake, as per police reports.
The video footage, obtained from a Ring camera by local NBC and ABC affiliate KSBW, shows Mendoza and DiNapoli leaving a residence in Morgan Hill. This was a day before DiNapoli was reported missing and two days prior to the discovery of her body at Anderson Lake on July 2, as stated by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Details of the footage and the events leading up to DiNapoli’s murder were outlined in Mendoza’s criminal complaint, which was obtained by Law&Crime. The complaint describes the couple descending a staircase together, with Mendoza confronting DiNapoli about her ex-boyfriend. DiNapoli’s apprehension was evident in the video footage.
The Ring camera recorded the couple on June 29. Cellphone ping data indicates that DiNapoli and Mendoza left the residence around 9:45 a.m. that day. By 9:52 a.m., DiNapoli’s cellphone was detected moving east on E. Dunne Avenue towards Anderson Lake. Between 9:58 and 10:04 a.m., both DiNapoli and Mendoza’s cellphones were traced to the vicinity of Anderson Lake.
At around 10:14 a.m., both phones were tracked moving west on E. Dunne Avenue at Thomas Grade, stopping near E. Dunne Avenue and Heritage Green Park. Mendoza’s vehicle was spotted moving westbound on E. Dunne Avenue at Hwy 101 around 10:18 a.m., which was also the last time DiNapoli’s phone showed activity.
DiNapoli did not report for her shift at Starbucks later that day, which was unusual as she typically worked the evening shift. A missing person report was filed on June 30. On July 1, Mendoza’s vehicle was seen on video attempting to cross into Mexico at the San Ysidro border. DiNapoli’s body was discovered the following day, and Mendoza was arrested upon his attempted return to the U.S. on July 6.
DiNapoli was found with five stab wounds to her back. Family members later revealed that there had been several unreported incidents of domestic violence where Mendoza had physically assaulted DiNapoli. Mendoza was arraigned on charges of murder committed with a deadly weapon, with additional circumstances including causing great bodily injury, being armed or using a weapon, targeting a vulnerable victim, and abusing a position of trust. He was ordered to be held without bond and has not yet entered a plea.