'she Deserves Justice': Celeste Rivas' Hometown Mourns 'sweet Child' Found Dead In Singer's Car - Beritaja

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — Over 75 miles from the tony Hollywood Hills vicinity wherever teen Celeste Rivas’ decomposing body was near successful the trunk of a Tesla belonging to the vocalist D4vd, sits the humble Inland Empire organization of Lake Elsinore wherever she lived pinch her family.

But residents and acquaintances of the teen are pursuing the lawsuit pinch a mixture of heartbreak, daze and anger as much specifications look that she knew the multi-platinum singer, whose existent sanction is David Anthony Burke.

“She deserves justice,” resident Rubi Alonso said. “It’s conscionable truthful sad.”

Alonso’s boy is about the aforesaid property arsenic Celeste Rivas. She met the girl’s family erstwhile Celeste Rivas was successful kindergarten and remained friends pinch her family.

“She was studious, a difficult worker and intelligent,” Alonso said.

Celeste Rivas was reported missing successful 2024 from the Inland Empire, according to authorities, but her whereabouts since past stay a mystery.

Her assemblage was recovered successful a conveyance astatine Hollywood Tow connected Sept. 8 aft it was impounded from the Hollywood Hills. Someone noticed a foul odor coming from the vehicle, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

While the aesculapian examiner listed Rivas’ property arsenic 15 astatine the clip of her death, her assemblage was located successful the beforehand trunk of a Tesla a time aft her birthday. Los Angeles constabulary officials person described her assemblage arsenic severely decomposed, suggesting she died while she was still 14.

Police opportunity the car was towed from the area about a location rented by Burke’s manager.

It’s unclear erstwhile the woman died and really agelong her assemblage was successful the trunk. The car had a Texas licence plate, and the remains were contained successful a bag, according to a rule enforcement source.

The Rivas’ family could not beryllium reached for remark connected Friday. They did not reply the doorway astatine their location successful Lake Elsinore and neighbors said they person not seen them recently.

Last February, missing person’s posters blanketed the quiet residential thoroughfare wherever Celeste Rivas lived pinch her family.

It was 1 of the first times neighbors callback seeing the girl’s look connected a poster. But it wouldn’t beryllium the past clip she was reported missing.

“I recognized her because of her big, curly hair,” neighbour Kayleigh Cortez said. “I would spot her stepping pinch her backpack connected her measurement to school.”

The teen was reported missing connected Valentine’s Day 2024 erstwhile she was 13. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Rivas was reported missing past twelvemonth but did not supply immoderate further accusation about the lawsuit and referred each questions to the LAPD.

It’s unclear really galore times the teen was reported missing aliases really galore times she was returned to her family by authorities.

Just aft 7 a.m. connected March 19, 2024 a young woman walked down the thoroughfare successful a acheronian sweater and ray pants according to surveillance footage from Del Lago Spirits, which is successful her neighborhood.

Rivas’ family asked shop proprietor Elie Naddaf for the footage. He sent it to them, assured the woman successful the video was Celeste Rivas.

He believes that she sewage into a conveyance down the thoroughfare from the shop but he could not make retired immoderate clear specifications arsenic she walked retired of the framework successful the video. He says that constabulary person not contacted him for the footage.

The teen regularly stopped by the area shop connected her measurement to a adjacent autobus stop.

“She was going to schoolhouse pinch the different kids and she would extremity by each the time,” Naddaf said.

She would get Takis, soda, possibly candy.

“She was ever truthful quiet, shy, conscionable a saccharine child,” Naddaf said, who is simply a begetter and has operated his business for the past 11 years successful the neigbborhood. “I consciousness a relationship to the community. It’s conscionable heartbreaking to spot this happen.”

Rivas attended Lakeland Village School successful Lake Elsinore, about 76 miles distant from Los Angeles.

Then her assemblage appeared successful the trunk of a Tesla successful a Hollywood tow yard.

“I sewage goosebumps erstwhile I heard about what happened to her, erstwhile they recovered her successful the car,” Cortez said. “It was conscionable truthful horrible.”

Rivas returned to Lake Elsinore successful the past year, said Alonso, the family friend, but she could not callback circumstantial dates.

She said that connected 1 juncture Rivas came backmost location by herself and different clip pinch police.

Authorities person said D4vd, 20, was initially cooperating pinch investigators erstwhile news collapsed that a assemblage was located successful a conveyance registered to his name. It’s unclear if he remained cooperative aft the aesculapian examiner’s agency identified Rivas arsenic the personification successful the trunk.

Law enforcement sources opportunity Burke has since retained a lawyer.

Representatives for the musician did not respond to requests for remark and the musician has canceled respective show dates connected his circuit that was slated to play successful Europe successful October.

Since then, aggregate photos of Burke and Rivas person circulated connected societal media, raising questions about really the 2 knew each other.

Gisel Vera, who identified herself arsenic a comparative of Celeste and helped commencement a GoFundMe page to raise costs for her funeral, told The Times the family had nary contiguous remark connected the case.

An Instagram relationship antecedently utilized by Rivas has since been reactivated by her relatives. Her relative Matthew Rivas made respective posts saying the family tried to find her earlier her death.

“We mislaid our girl,” the Instgram communicative said. “But we did everything flyers astatine her school, TikToks, Instagram, FaceBook, Police, family searching everywhere. Even our family successful Mexico shared and prayed for her.”

Another station said, “My mom hasn’t spoken successful a week... she feels she grounded her daughter, but she didn’t. She did everything. Our location is quiet and broken.”