NEED TO KNOW
- The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is speaking out one day after the teenage girl was identified as the body found in the trunk of a Tesla reportedly registered to singer d4vd
- “She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend,” loved ones wrote of the 15-year-old on a GoFundMe campaign seeking funeral donations
- The girl had been reported missing from Lake Elsinore, Calif., last year and her cause of death remains under investigation
The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the missing teenage girl who was found dead in the trunk of a Tesla reportedly belonging to singer d4vd, is speaking out about the tragedy.
“As many of you know, Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been identified as the body found last week,” GoFundMe organizers Esmeralda Lozano and Gisel Vera wrote on the fundraising page. “She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend.”
The statement continued, “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.”
PEOPLE has reached out to GoFundMe to confirm the validity of the fundraiser.
The family’s first public comments come one day after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified 15-year-old Rivas Hernandez as the body found in the car on Sept. 8, PEOPLE previously reported. Her date of death is also listed as Sept. 8 but her cause of death is “deferred,” which means it is pending additional investigation.
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According to NBC News, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in California confirmed in a statement that Rivas Hernandez is the “juvenile who was reported missing from Lake Elsinore” last year.
The sheriff’s office added that the Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the incident as a homicide, per the outlet.
According KABC-TV, authorities said the body was found in the Tesla’s front trunk and had been wrapped inside a bag. The outlet also reported that the car is registered in Hempstead, Texas to d4vd, 20, whose real name is David Anthony Burke.
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Officers responded to the scene after receiving a report of a foul odor from what appeared to be human remains coming from a vehicle on N. Mansfield Avenue, PEOPLE previously reported.
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, authorities believe the body was put in the trunk about five days before it was towed to the impound lot.
The car was reported abandoned in the Hollywood Hills and neighbors told NBC Los Angeles it had been there for about a month.
A rep for the singer, who is currently on tour and has earned acclaim for hits like “Here with Me” and “Romantic Homicide,” previously told the outlet he had been “informed about what’s happened” and is “fully cooperating with the authorities.”
Police have not named any suspects or filed charges in the case as of Sept. 18.
Further details about Rivas Hernandez and whether she had a connection to the singer have not been shared by authorities.