A former teacher from Lakeland Village High School in Lake Elsinore claims that Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were recently discovered in the trunk of a Tesla linked to an R&B artist, met the well-known musician through social media, TMZ reported.

The science teacher, who spoke with the media outlet, stated that Rivas had disappeared in early 2024, a fact that the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department had previously confirmed.

According to the teacher, during that disappearance, she traveled to Hollywood after connecting with David Anthony Burke, a musician known as D4vd, who boasts millions of fans and followers, through social media.

Police were able to track her down that time and return the then 13-year-old girl back to her mother in Lake Elsinore, the teacher claimed.  

TMZ obtained video footage showing the teacher, now employed at another school in Southern California, recounting these details to his current students. In the video, he displays a photograph of himself and Rivas standing in front of a poster he still keeps in his classroom, mentioning that she had “been missing since I taught her.”

Rivas was again reported missing in April 2024, and the teacher had not heard about her until Wednesday, when the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the 15-year-old’s remains.

On September 8, authorities discovered the teen’s remains, described as a “head and torso,” inside a bag in the trunk of a Tesla that had been impounded at Hollywood Tow. The car had been at the tow yard for approximately five days after it was found abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.

Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the lot at around 12:30 p.m. only after an employee reported a foul stench coming from the vehicle, which had been parked on the roof of the yard’s parking structure.   

The medical examiner’s report noted that the teen’s body was severely decomposed and, at the time, only described the remains as approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing around 71 pounds with dark wavy hair.   

The 15-year-old was wearing a tube top and had a distinctive tattoo on her right index finger with the letters “Shhh.”   

LAPD said the car, which had Texas plates, was registered to D4vd, who is currently on tour. 

While homicide detectives have been tight-lipped about the investigation, many observers have pointed to other alleged ties between D4vd and Rivas beyond just the Tesla’s registration.  

Along with a song entitled “Romantic Homicide,” TMZ reported that in a leaked song, the artist is heard singing about a person named Celeste, with lyrics that include, “Oh Celeste / The girl with my name tattooed on her chest / I hear her voice each time I take a breath / I’m obsessed.”  

Leaked in December 2023, the track was reportedly titled “Celeste_Demo unfin.”  

According to Rivas’ mother, who spoke with TMZ, the 15-year-old had a boyfriend named David before she went missing, with the outlet adding that a photo of the musician surfaced online Wednesday showing him with a girl in Lake Elsinore, not far from the home the teen shared with her family.   

D4vd also reportedly has a tattoo on his right index finger with the words “Shhh,” similar to the one Rivas has.  

Initial reports suggested the musician was cooperating with investigators, but on Thursday, a spokesperson for LAPD told local affiliate KTLA, “We do not have that information.”  

Police did say, however, that a search warrant was executed Wednesday in the 13000 block of Doheny Place, the Hollywood Hills home where D4vd had been living, according to TMZ’s reporting.  

“Several items of evidence were recovered and will be analyzed by detectives in the coming days. This is an ongoing investigation,” the LAPD spokesperson said. “Investigators are following up on several leads.” 

So far, no arrests have been made and it’s unclear if D4vd has spoken with detectives.  

As for the artist himself, he has not spoken publicly or on social media about the investigation or his alleged ties to Rivas. He cancelled his concert in Seattle last night and is scheduled to play at The Greek in L.A. on Saturday, though it’s unclear if the concert will continue as planned.

Rivas’ alleged former teacher told TMZ that the teen was often absent from school and that he knew nothing of her home life. In relating to his new students what he knew of Rivas and the case, he told the outlet it was a “cautionary tale” about how dangerous social media can be.  

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division at 213-486-6890. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477.