ROWLAND HEIGHTS : Businessman’s Body Found in Trunk of His Mercedes

The body of a Diamond Bar businessman who had been missing for nearly two days was found Sunday in the trunk of his Mercedes in a motel parking lot, authorities said Monday.

Gary Sinkus, 40, of Whittier had been shot once in the head and appeared to have been the victim of a robbery, Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Bailey said. Sinkus’ body was found in his white 1991 Mercedes-Benz outside a Rowland Heights Motel 6 about 12:30 p.m., Bailey said. Sinkus, co-owner of Tecnicad Inc., a Diamond Bar general contracting firm, had called his family about 4:30 p.m. Friday to tell them he would be home for dinner, Bailey said.

But the next day, when Sinkus still had not returned, his family filed a missing persons report with the Whittier Police Department.

Sinkus’ family conducted their own search and found his car parked in front of the motel early Sunday afternoon, Bailey said. Emmett Gossen, a spokesman for Motel 6, said Sinkus’ car was not registered to any guests at the motel. A manager had remembered seeing the car parked in the motel lot when he made his rounds about 9 p.m. Saturday, Gossen said.

Sinkus also co-owned Professional Physical Therapy in Whittier with his wife, Valerie.