A victim found in the trunk of a car in Riverside, Calif., has been identified as missing San Diego man Gianni Belvedere. Police say Belvedere — missing since the Christmas Eve murders of his fiancee and brother — is also considered a victim. NBC 7’s Steven Luke reports.
The San Diego man who was reported missing after his fiancée and brother were shot outside a San Diego mall on Christmas Eve has been identified as the man found dead in the trunk of a car in Riverside, officials confirmed Thursday.
Riverside police told NBC 7 Gianni Belvedere, 24 of Tierrasanta was found dead Friday inside a 2004 Toyota Camry on Van Buren Boulevard.
The cause of the death has not been released. However, detectives clarified that Belvedere was a victim.
""Mr. Belvedere was the victim of a homicide," the police release states.
On Saturday, a family member told NBC 7 the victim in the vehicle was Belvedere but officials would not confirm the identity pending autopsy results.
San Diego police are scheduled to release new information on the case at 10 a.m. Friday at their headquarters downtown.
Gianni's fiancée and brother, Ilona Flint and Salvatore Belvedere, died from gunshot wounds suffered in the shooting outside a Macy’s department store at Westfield Mission Valley Mall.
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Flint was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter, while Salvatore was transported to a local trauma center with life-threatening wounds. His death was confirmed by the SDPD and Belvedere family on Dec. 27.
Since the shooting, there was no trace of Gianni. He was last seen at his Tierrasanta home just hours before shooting.
San Diego police found no use of his cell phone or credit cards since Dec. 24.
Officers issued a missing person's bulletin for Gianni and his family offered a $10,000 reward for information.
The Belvedere family has said that Gianni may have been at the mall with Flint and Salvatore in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve.
The suspect in the shooting was described as a male wearing tan pants, 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-11.
A possible vehicle of interest in the case is a 2008-2011 dark gray Honda sedan, officials said.
Anyone with information can call the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
On Thursday, the friend of the Belvederes created an online fund to help with funeral expenses.
