Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 13-year-old who ran away from her Lake Elsinore, California, home in April 2024, remained missing for over a year. Her decomposed remains were tragically found on Sept. 8 of this year in the trunk of a Tesla owned by singer D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, and now, the landlord who rented a home to the music notable is seeking answers to the mysterious death, as the Daily Mail reports.
Before her disappearance, Rivas had a troubled home life, with police called to her residence 11 times, per dispatch records. She first fled on Valentine’s Day 2024, leaving a note, and returned later, though the exact date remains unclear.
Over the following nine months, authorities logged over a dozen more calls for disturbances and other issues at her home. Friends noted Rivas was distressed by the attention her vanishing drew, highlighting a deeply unsettled background.
Burke had been residing at a $4.1 million Hollywood Hills mansion since February 2024, rented by his manager, Josh Marshall, for $20,000 monthly. On Sept. 17, LAPD homicide detectives raided this property as part of their probe into Rivas’s death.
Officials confirmed the raid’s connection to the case, seizing various items, including a laptop for analysis, though specifics remain undisclosed. No arrests have occurred, no suspects named, and Rivas’s cause of death is still undetermined.
Marshall abruptly terminated the lease days after the raid, citing the ongoing situation with Burke. Burke’s current location is unknown, and while he’s retained a prominent Hollywood attorney, no statements have been issued.
Mladen Trifunovic, owner of the raided mansion, was unaware that Burke lived there until the police action on Sept. 17. To his knowledge, no one was present during the search, as Burke was touring across the U.S.
Neighbors and contractors reported nothing unusual around the time Rivas’s body was discovered on Sept. 8, describing the home as unusually quiet. Maintenance staff also noticed no irregularities during their routine visits.
Frustrated by limited police communication, Trifunovic has engaged a private investigator to examine footage and speak with witnesses. He aims to uncover whether Rivas ever stayed at the property and when she might have last been seen.
"I have a private investigator gathering information because my family and I want to understand what may or may not have happened in or around a home that is very special to us," said Trifunovic.
While Trifunovic’s initiative is understandable, it’s concerning that citizens must resort to private measures due to apparent government inefficiency. Shouldn’t the LAPD, under President Donald Trump’s law-and-order watch, prioritize transparency in such a heartbreaking case?
Trifunovic noted no visible signs of an incident inside the home and hasn’t been told Rivas died there. He believes police have collected all necessary evidence, with no plans shared for further testing at the property.
Rivas’s death remains shrouded in mystery, with officials suspecting she’d been deceased for weeks due to severe decomposition observed by Sept. 8. LAPD is uncertain about criminal liability beyond possible body concealment, pending further tests.
Investigators are exploring Rivas’s connection to Burke, reviewing images suggesting they were together. Sources allege that an inappropriate relationship began online when she was just 11 or 12, prompting the girl's move to L.A.
As Burke transferred two Texas properties to his mother’s name shortly after Rivas’s identification in September 2025, questions linger about his actions. With no charges yet filed, conservatives must demand accountability and clarity from authorities on this troubling matter.
