Lake Elsinore Mourns ‘Sweet Child’ Celeste Rivas Hernandez Amid Shocking Homicide Probe into Singer D4vd’s Tesla

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — More than 75 miles from the glittering Hollywood Hills neighborhood where teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s decomposing body was discovered stuffed in a bag inside the trunk of a Tesla belonging to multiplatinum singer D4vd sits the modest Inland Empire community of Lake Elsinore, where she lived with her family in a quiet cul-de-sac home lined with citrus trees and faded American flags.

The 15-year-old, described by those who knew her as a “studious, hard worker and intelligent” girl with dreams of becoming a doctor, vanished on April 5, 2024, without a trace. For 17 agonizing months, her family clung to hope, plastering missing posters across the sun-baked streets of this working-class enclave, where strip malls and sprawling reservoirs define daily life. But that hope shattered on Sept. 8, 2025, when workers at a Hollywood tow yard, alerted by a foul odor emanating from an abandoned electric vehicle, pried open the trunk to find her severely decomposed remains.

The Tesla Model 3, registered in Hempstead, Texas, under the real name of the vehicle’s owner, David Anthony Burke — better known to millions as the 20-year-old R&B sensation D4vd — had been impounded weeks earlier after being left curbside in the upscale Hollywood Hills. Authorities have since confirmed Celeste’s identity through forensic analysis by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. Her cause of death remains “deferred,” pending toxicology and further tests, but the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has classified the case as a homicide investigation, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division taking the lead.

The revelation that Celeste knew D4vd personally — her mother reportedly confirmed to investigators that her daughter’s boyfriend went by the name “David” — has sent ripples of disbelief through Lake Elsinore. Social media sleuths unearthed grainy photos and videos from 2024 showing a young girl resembling Celeste alongside the singer, fueling speculation that she may have run away to Los Angeles to be with him. Yet details of their relationship, if any, remain shrouded in mystery, with LAPD sources declining to comment on potential connections.

In the days following the identification, D4vd’s rented Hollywood Hills home — just a block from where the Tesla was abandoned — was raided by homicide detectives on Sept. 18. Law enforcement sources told ABC News that officers scoured the property for “blood evidence” and other forensic traces, executing a search warrant tied directly to the vehicle’s discovery. The singer, whose breakout hit “Romantic Homicide” eerily echoes themes of love, loss and regret, was midway through his Withered World Tour in Chicago when the news broke. A spokesperson for D4vd issued a terse statement to NBC News: “He has been informed about what’s happened, and although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities.” Shortly after, the tour’s remaining U.S. dates were abruptly canceled, leaving fans stunned and online forums ablaze with questions.

Back in Lake Elsinore, the community’s grief manifested in raw, unfiltered waves during a candlelit vigil on Sunday evening at Machado Park, where over 100 residents gathered under a canopy of string lights. White candles flickered against the encroaching dusk as family photos of Celeste — beaming in her school soccer uniform, laughing at a family barbecue — were passed hand-to-hand. Attendees, many wiping tears with calloused hands from long shifts at nearby warehouses or casinos, released pink and white balloons into the sky, a nod to her favorite colors.

“She deserves justice,” resident Rubi Alonso declared to a cluster of reporters, her voice cracking as she clutched a worn photo of Celeste from kindergarten days. Alonso, a 42-year-old cashier at a local Vons supermarket, met the girl’s family when Celeste was just five, enrolling in the same after-school program her own son attended. The boy, now 16 and lanky like Celeste’s peers, stood silently beside her, eyes downcast. “It’s just so sad,” Alonso continued, her words echoing the sentiments of many. “She was this sweet child, always with her nose in a book or helping her little brother with homework. Studious, a hard worker, intelligent — that’s what her mom always said. How does a girl like that end up… like this?”

Alonso’s reminiscences painted a portrait of Celeste far removed from the glitz of Hollywood: a straight-A student at Elsinore High School, where she excelled in biology and volunteered at the community’s free clinic, aspiring to follow in the footsteps of her aunt, a nurse in Riverside. Friends recalled her as the one organizing study groups, her backpack perpetually stuffed with flashcards and dog-eared novels. “She was the glue,” said classmate Mia Gonzalez, 15, who lit a candle shaped like a heart at the vigil. “Celeste would text us at midnight: ‘One more chapter, guys — we got this.’ She dreamed big, but she was grounded. This place? It’s not easy. Single mom, little brother to raise. She powered through.”

The family’s heartbreak spilled over in a poignant GoFundMe post launched Sept. 18, titled “Help Lay Celeste Rivas Hernandez to Rest.” “As many of you know, Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been identified as the body found last week,” the statement read. “She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend. Our hearts are shattered beyond words. We are asking for your prayers and support during this unimaginable time.” By Monday, the fundraiser had surpassed $25,000, with donors from as far as New York sharing stories of Celeste’s quiet kindness — tutoring neighbors’ kids for free, baking cookies for bake sales. A GoFundMe spokesperson confirmed the platform’s trust and safety team was vetting the account to ensure funds reach the family directly.

Yet beneath the sorrow simmers a palpable undercurrent of fury and betrayal. “How could this happen?” fumed Lake Elsinore City Councilmember Natasha Johnson at the vigil, her microphone trembling in the humid night air. “Celeste was one of ours — a kid from the Valley, chasing dreams in a world that chews them up. And now this singer, this celebrity, with his fancy car and tours? If he knew her, where was he when she needed help? We demand answers, not excuses.” Whispers among the crowd turned to D4vd’s manager, Josh Marshall, who faced online backlash for allegedly downplaying early concerns about the singer’s associations. Marshall has not commented publicly.

As the vigil wound down with a group prayer led by a local pastor, Celeste’s mother, Maria Hernandez, emerged briefly from the shadows, flanked by relatives. Frail and hollow-eyed, she managed only a whisper to reporters: “My baby. She was my everything.” No arrests have been made, and LAPD detectives are “following several leads,” including phone records and witness statements from the Hollywood Hills. The exact timeline of Celeste’s death — potentially months before discovery, given the decomposition — remains a critical puzzle, with forensics teams racing to pinpoint when and how she ended up in that trunk.

In Lake Elsinore, where the hum of distant traffic from Interstate 15 underscores the rhythm of resilient lives, Celeste’s story has become a rallying cry. Murals are already springing up on community center walls: a stylized portrait of the girl with stethoscope in hand, captioned “Justice for Celeste.” As the investigation stretches into its second week, residents like Alonso vow to keep the pressure on. “She wasn’t just a missing kid anymore,” Alonso said, extinguishing her candle. “She’s a call to action. For every girl like her, fighting for more. We won’t forget.”