LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — Celeste Rivas Hernandez was simply one of many youngsters in her neighborhood in Lake Elsinore, an Inland Empire group that for generations has drawn younger households in search of a chunk of suburbia removed from the excessive costs and drama of the massive metropolis.
She visited the nook retailer nearly each day along with her buddies, carrying a backpack and her ordinary lengthy, curly black hair. She obtained sweet, soda and Takis. She was a well-recognized face to neighbors and native enterprise house owners.
However there was one thing taking part in out in her world that she saved to herself.
Final 12 months, she disappeared over Valentine’s Day. It was the primary of many episodes of her working away from house, one thing that introduced tensions in her family and fear in her group.
In accordance with Riverside County Sheriff’s Division data, Celeste was reported lacking 3 times by her household, in three incidents that occurred in early 2024 and sparked a number of calls with native police.
Her mom made emotional pleas on Fb for her to come back house. Neighbors noticed lacking posts on native streets. Her household sought video surveillance from their neighborhood that might yield clues.
Neighborhood residents gathered for a vigil in Lake Elsinore.
(OnScene.TV)
She often returned house to Lake Elsinore and blended again into her life as a center schooler.
Then in early September, the Los Angeles Police Division introduced her decomposing physique had been discovered contained in the trunk of a Tesla owned by singer D4vd. The car was discovered parked on a avenue in an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood the place 20-year-old D4vd, whose actual identify is David Anthony Burke, was renting a house.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Workplace mentioned Celeste was declared lifeless on Sept. 8, in the future after her birthday. However authorities imagine she had been lifeless for weeks earlier than she was found and certain didn’t see her fifteenth birthday.
Police at the moment are attempting to attach her life in sleepy Lake Elsinore to her loss of life in one in every of Los Angeles’ celebrity-studded neighborhoods. And they’re in search of to know any connections between Celeste and D4vd.
Legislation enforcement sources mentioned detectives are reviewing movies that seem to point out her alongside D4vd. They’ve additionally obtained some images of them apparently collectively, in response to the sources, who weren’t approved to debate the small print of the case publicly.
Authorities haven’t decided how she died, and police mentioned Burke was cooperating.
In Lake Elsinore, individuals who knew Celeste are grieving and wish solutions.
“Everyone in the neighborhood is unhappy, not simply the youngsters,” mentioned Elie Naddaf, proprietor of a nook retailer in Celeste’s neighborhood. “You’ll be able to see it with anybody that comes right here.”
A vigil in Lake Elsinore to recollect Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
(OnScene.TV)
How Celeste met Burke stays unclear. Legislation enforcement sources conversant in the investigation say they met on-line. Burke gained a web-based following by posting “Fortnite” clips to YouTube and pivoted to creating his personal music. He was signed to a document label by 2022.
Celeste grew up in Lake Elsinore, a first-generation daughter of immigrant dad and mom from El Salvador, and attended Lakeland Village College.
Burke was on tour when Celeste’s physique was discovered on Sept. 8 and he canceled the remaining dates of his North American tour when she was recognized.
Whereas Burke amassed a following on social media over the past a number of years along with his music, he has remained silent about Celeste’s loss of life. Representatives for Burke didn’t reply to repeated requests for remark and representatives for his music label, Darkroom and Interscope, couldn’t be reached.
It’s unclear if the Los Angeles Police Division interviewed Burke. Right now, police say they have no idea if there may be “any felony culpability past the concealment of her physique.” Celeste’s explanation for loss of life has been deferred pending additional exams.
Individuals who knew the household have been perplexed at what went fallacious.
Celeste had run away earlier than and at all times got here again, mentioned Rubi Alonso, a good friend of Celeste’s mom, Mercedes Martinez. However one thing modified in August. She mentioned she spoke to Martinez and, within the transient dialog, Celeste’s mom instructed her she was gone.
“She’s left me once more,” Celeste’s mom instructed Alonso, whose son went to kindergarten with Celeste. She remained shut buddies with the household through the years, typically speaking to Martinez and generally providing recommendation.
“I couldn’t imagine it when my son instructed me” about her loss of life, Alonso mentioned. “I obtained the textual content message and it didn’t make sense that it was her.”
The primary time she left house, a household good friend and police data point out, was on Valentine’s Day 2024.
In a Fb publish, Martinez wrote that Celeste had final been seen on Feb. 14, 2024.
“Please share,” she wrote in Spanish. “It’s my daughter, and I’m distraught, and she or he has been lacking for twenty-four hours.”
In accordance with police data, she was reported lacking on Feb. 15, 2024. Her household known as Riverside County Sheriff officers at 9:18 a.m.
Alonso mentioned {the teenager} was seen in house cameras leaving the home someday round 2 a.m. She’d additionally left a letter for her household, Alonso mentioned, though it’s unclear what the letter mentioned.
A number of hours later that day, data present deputies have been known as to the home at 7:41 p.m. for a follow-up report.
Riverside County Sheriff officers declined to launch any data associated to the lacking individuals report, citing an ongoing investigation and data involving a minor.
Neighbors mentioned the household posted fliers of Celeste across the neighborhood, hoping to unfold the phrase that somebody would have info as to her whereabouts.
Human stays have been found within the trunk of a Tesla.
(KTLA)
Alonso mentioned Celeste returned house, and her mom instructed Alonso that Celeste had been upset by the social media posts, fliers across the neighborhood, and the publicity that it had generated.
In accordance with data, {the teenager} didn’t keep house lengthy. On March 19, 2024, Celeste’s household once more reported her lacking.
Naddaf mentioned that Celeste’s household requested him if he had any surveillance footage of the road. He shared with them a video clip that confirmed a lady with gentle pants and a darkish sweater strolling down the road. He believes the woman was Celeste and that it appeared to point out her approaching a darkish car exterior the body of the surveillance video.
He shared the footage with the household, however didn’t hear again from them.
Name logs to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Division present her household known as officers at 7:57 a.m. to report her lacking. Deputies returned a few week in a while March 26 for a follow-up, however officers declined to offer details about the report.
A number of days later, Celeste was reported lacking as soon as extra. This time, her household known as deputies on April 5, 2024. The decision, in response to data, got here at 9:29 p.m.
Deputies have been known as to the house once more a couple of days later for a follow-up report, in response to name logs, on April 11, April 19 and April 20. Celeste reportedly left her house carrying grey pants, a black sweater, a hat and Hiya Kitty sandals.
In one of many incidents that she was reported lacking, Alonso mentioned, Celeste had been pushed house in a police patrol automobile.
It’s unclear when Celeste returned to the house, however neighbors in the neighborhood mentioned they noticed the younger woman within the neighborhood later that 12 months, at house along with her dad and mom.
Alonso mentioned Celeste’s mom believes her daughter had a boyfriend however had not met him.
