Celeste Rivas, a 15-year-old girl whose severely decomposed body was found in a Tesla owned by singer-songwriter D4vd, is depicted in newly released surveillance footage fleeing from her home last year.
Recorded at a local liquor store in Lake Elsinore, California, the video shows Rivas around 7 a.m. on March 19, 2024. The clip, first shared by TMZ, features a girl in a black hoodie and white pants, confirmed by her family to be Celeste.
The footage captures her briskly walking down the street and jogging around a corner before she vanishes from sight.
Elie Naddaf, owner of Dellago Spirits, recounted to TMZ that Rivas’s sister visited his store later that day, requesting to view security footage from the morning, affirming that the girl in the video was indeed her sister.
He mentioned that he provided the family with the footage “in hopes it would aid in finding her.”
Naddaf also noted that Rivas frequently stopped by his store for snacks like soda, chips, and gum, and he had never heard of any family issues.
Law enforcement revealed that the young girl had run away from home multiple times, including at least three instances in the previous year, allegedly as a result of a “troubled home.”
The last contact her family had with her was in July.
In January 2024, police had located Rivas in Hollywood and returned her to her family.
The incident on March 19 marked at least the second time she had fled from home.
The investigation took a tragic turn when her decomposed body was found on September 8 in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to the 20-year-old singer-songwriter David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd.
The police executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills mansion where Burke was residing, seizing various electronics and computers.
Authorities indicated that Burke has fully cooperated with the investigation, even canceling his tour dates and vacating the $20,000-a-month rental shortly after the search.
Although Burke is not considered a suspect or person of interest, police are continuing to explore the circumstances surrounding Rivas’s death and how her body ended up in the vehicle.
The forensic state of Rivas’s body indicates that she had likely been inside the Tesla for an extended period, according to law enforcement sources.
The cause of her death remains unknown.
There were discussions among friends and online acquaintances suggesting that Rivas may have formed a connection with Burke through social media earlier in 2024.
Screenshots that have circulated on Discord servers appeared to indicate links between the teen and the artist, although police have not made any formal allegations regarding their relationship.
Rivas’s body has been returned to her family, who organized a memorial service in Lake Elsinore.
