“She Deserves Justice”: Celeste Rivas‘ Hometown Mourns ‘Sweet Child’ Found Dead in D4vd‘s Car
Lake Elsinore, CA – The community of Lake Elsinore is reeling after the body of 13-year-old Celeste Rivas was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla registered to musician David Burke, known professionally as D4vd. Rivas, a former student at Lakeland Village School, was found in Hollywood after being reported missing on Valentine’s Day 2024.
Neighbors remember Rivas as a quiet and shy girl, frequently enough seen walking to school with her backpack. “She was always so quiet,shy,just a sweet child,” said Elie naddaf,owner of del Lago Spirits,a corner store Rivas frequented on her way to the bus stop. She typically purchased Takis, soda, and candy, Naddaf recalled, adding, “I feel a connection to the community. It’s just heartbreaking to see this happen.”
Surveillance footage from Del Lago Spirits, captured just after 7 a.m. on March 19, 2024, shows a girl matching Rivas’ description walking down the street in a dark sweater and light pants. Rivas’ family believed the girl in the footage was Celeste and requested a copy from Naddaf. He believes she entered a vehicle down the street, but details where unclear. He stated that police have not contacted him regarding the footage.
The circumstances surrounding Rivas’ disappearance and death remain under inquiry. Authorities have confirmed she was reported missing last year, but have released limited information, referring inquiries to the LAPD. It is currently unknown how many times Rivas was reported missing or returned to her family by authorities.
According to a family friend,Alonso,Rivas had recently returned to Lake Elsinore,roughly 76 miles from Los Angeles,within the last year. Alonso recalled instances where Rivas returned home both independently and with police assistance.
Following news of a body found in a vehicle registered to him, D4vd, 20, was initially cooperative with investigators.He has since retained legal counsel, and representatives for the musician have not responded to requests for comment. He has also canceled several upcoming European tour dates. Social media has seen the circulation of photos depicting Burke and Rivas,prompting questions about their relationship.
The family is understandably devastated. A GoFundMe page was established by a relative, Gisel vera, to help cover funeral expenses. While the family has declined to comment directly on the case, a series of posts on an Instagram account believed to belong to Rivas’ brother, Matthew Rivas, detail the family’s desperate search.
“We lost our girl,” one post read. “But we did everything - flyers at her school,TikToks,Instagram,Facebook,Police,family searching everywhere. Even our family in Mexico shared and prayed for her.” Another post expressed the mother’s grief, stating, “My mom hasn’t spoken in a week… she feels she failed her daughter, but she didn’t. She did everything. Our home is quiet and broken.”
The community is left mourning the loss of Celeste Rivas and demanding justice. Neighbor Kayleigh Cortez expressed the sentiment shared by many, stating, “I got goosebumps when I heard about what happened to her, when they found her in the car. It was just so horrible… She deserves justice.”
Times staff writer salvador Hernandez contributed to this report.
