Dan Seddon
The devastated family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez has spoken for the first time since the teenager's remains were discovered in singer d4vd's Tesla.
Last week, police came across remains of the missing 15-year-old after receiving a call about foul smells emanating from an abandoned Tesla vehicle, which was impounded on North Mansfield Avenue in the Hollywood Hills.
Hernandez originally went missing on April 5, 2024 at the age of 13, around the Californian city of Lake Elsinore.
The Tesla was registered under music star d4vd's legal name, David Anthony Burke, with his spokesperson telling NBC News that he's now 'fully cooperating' with the local authorities.
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A GoFundMe page has since been set up by Celeste's family, which includes a brief description of why they're seeking donations.
"As many of you know, Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been identified as the body found last week," it begins.
"She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend. Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss. They are seeking help to lay her body to rest. Any funds you are able to donate are greatly appreciated."
$20,000 is the target, and at the time of writing, $11,289 worth of funds has been generously raised.
The medical examiner's office said Hernandez was clothed in a tube top, black leggings, stud earrings and a yellow metal bracelet, while it was difficult to determine just how long she'd been deceased.
When her remains were found, d4vd was right in the middle of a US tour to support his debut studio album Withered.
The case of Celeste's death took a shocking turn when it was discovered that one of d4vd's old tracks seemed to refer to a girl named Celeste on several occasions.
Emerging online two years ago under the file name 'Celeste_Demo unfin', the now-deleted SoundCloud song's lyrics reportedly said: "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.
"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."
While there's no concrete evidence to suggest that the track is about the dead teenager, its lyrics have intensified public interest, especially on social media.
Her mother also revealed to investigators that her daughter had been seeing a boyfriend named David at the time she disappeared, though the singer is yet to be formally linked to her death.
LADbible Group previously contacted d4vd's representatives for comment.