Investigations into the mystery surrounding the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas have narrowed down the timeline of her death. Officials now know that the teen, who went missing in February 2024, was alive late last year.
Newly surfaced footage shows the missing teenager in Lake Elsinore, California, exactly one year before her body was found inside a Tesla linked to musician D4vd. The video, captured by a Nest camera on September 8, 2024, shows Celeste in a heated argument with her parents’ neighbours.
In the clip, she lashes out at the neighbours over a ding-dong-ditch prank that she claims their children did at her parents’ home. Her voice is sharp, filled with anger and frustration, echoing through the night as she shouts at the family gathered outside.
Another neighbour told TMZ that it was definitely Celeste that night. The resident recalled recognising her face from the missing posters. The neighbour believed that the teen had returned home and everything was okay.
However, things were far from fine. During Celete’s outburst, she used profanity and even a possible racial slur. At one point, a man in the video yells back, insisting she stop using the N-word. “I’m not Black,” he responds, clearly offended by her choice of words.
After the argument, the neighbour’s boyfriend went to the Rivas’ home to smooth things over. The neighbour said that Celete’s father answered the door, and he did not seem too concerned about the matter.
The video’s timestamp is September 8, which was the day after Celeste’s 14th birthday. One year to the day, authorities made the grim discovery of her remains inside a Tesla trunk in Hollywood Hills.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed Celeste’s body was found on September 8, 2025. According to the death certificate, an autopsy was performed, but the cause of death remains deferred pending toxicology results. The certificate also confirmed that, despite speculation online, Celeste was not pregnant and had not been in the past year.
Celeste’s body was discovered inside an abandoned Tesla belonging to singer and streamer D4vd, whose real name is David Burke. Police impounded the vehicle, and investigators later searched the home where Burke had been staying before his tour, reportedly collecting hair samples and looking for blood evidence.
D4vd was touring at the time and continued to do so for a short while. Once Celeste’s identity became public and fans began drawing connections, he cancelled his Seattle show. Days later, on September 19, he shut down the rest of his U.S. tour, and his label paused the release of his deluxe album, Withered.
