The 15-year-old girl found dead in the trunk of singer D4vd’s Tesla had a history of repeatedly running away from home due to a troubled family life, Law enforcement sources told TMZ. Celeste Rivas, whose body was found earlier this month, had been reported missing several times by her family in Lake Elsinore, according to Riverside County law enforcement records.
Now, investigators from the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division are digging into her past to piece together the events that led to her tragic death. Sources told TMZ that detectives believe Celeste came from a troubled family, which most likely had fueled her repeated attempts to run away from her home
Repeated Attempts to Flee Home
A local liquor store owner near her school bus stop recalled an incident on March 19, 2024, when Celeste’s sister came in to review security footage in a desperate effort to track her whereabouts after she disappeared.
Her middle school teacher also confirmed to TMZ that Celeste had gone missing earlier in January 2024. Police eventually located Celeste in the Hollywood Hills the following month and brought her back home.
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Interestingly, singer D4vd also lives in the Hollywood Hills. Celeste went missing for the final time in April.
It’s still unclear whether Celeste’s family reached out to the Los Angeles police during her spring disappearance to find out where she had been staying after being located in February. Authorities say Celeste may have been able to move around without being noticed by using multiple fake IDs to make herself appear older.
Before law enforcement officially confirmed her identity, TMZ received a tip that the victim found in D4vd’s car was Celeste. When contacted, her mother shared that Celeste had a distinctive red tattoo on her right index finger and had been dating someone named David.
This information was passed to LAPD homicide detectives, who later verified her identity. Police have not yet named any suspects in the case.
Police said Celeste Rivas’ remains were found after the vehicle was taken to a Hollywood tow yard, just a day before what would have been her 15th birthday. Officials told the outlet that her body showed significant decomposition, suggesting she had been in the Tesla for some time.
Mystery Still Continues
Rivas had been reported missing to police in May 2024. Last week, police raided singer D4vd’s Hollywood Hills home, searching for blood evidence connected to the case. As of Wednesday morning, D4vd—whose real name is David Anthony Burke—has not been formally charged with any crime.
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A recently surfaced photo shows D4vd and Celeste sitting together in a green booth at a venue, with a camera flash visible in a mirror behind them. In the image, D4vd is wearing a black shirt with a white spider graphic on the chest—the same shirt he wore in a photo with pop star Billie Eilish in fall 2023.
The two appeared close in the photos, with the teenager gazing lovingly at the TikTok breakout star.
The photos emerged as police were seen leaving D4vd’s home with several bags of evidence and a computer, TMZ reported last week.
Other photos and videos linking the singer to Celeste have also surfaced, including a January 2024 livestream where they were both pictured. During the stream, Rivas encouraged D4vd to respond to a viewer’s question.
Online sleuths also noted a 2022 single and music video from the artist, “Romantic Homicide,” which featured a dark-haired female strikingly similar to Rivas. They have also flagged a December 2023 track by the artist titled Celeste_Demo unfin, which some believe could offer insight into the teen’s tragic death.
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The lyrics reference several traits linked to Rivas, including lines like: “Oh, Celeste / The girl with my name tattooed on her chest / Smell her on my clothes like cigarettes / I hear her voice each time I take a breath / I’m obsessed.”
Other lines seem to suggest a romantic connection between the singer and the song’s subject: “Oh, Celeste / Afraid you’ll only love me when undressed / But you look so damn gorgeous in that dress / Missing you so much makes me depressed / But I digress, because.”
It has not been confirmed whether D4vd was specifically referring to Rivas in the track.
