Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family demands justice ahead of her birthday

Celeste Rivas Hernandez's grieving family wants the death penalty for her accused killer.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s grieving family wants the death penalty for her accused killer. They released this emotional statement just before her sixteenth birthday. The family shared their message with the California Post on September 6. Rapper D4vd currently faces charges connected to her tragic death.

Family members described the accused as heartless and completely without conscience. They said he caused unbearable pain to their daughter and their family. The statement emphasized how deeply this loss affected everyone who loved her. They called capital punishment a fitting response to such cruelty.

However, the family acknowledged this decision ultimately rests with California’s justice system. They said the outcome remains solely in God’s hands now. District Attorney Nathan Hochman addressed reporters outside a courthouse on August 31. He confirmed no formal decision exists yet regarding the death penalty request.

Investigators discovered Rivas’s body inside D4vd’s Tesla trunk last September. The vehicle sat impounded at a Los Angeles facility during that discovery. Authorities arrested the rapper in April 2026 for her alleged murder. Prosecutors claim he killed her to protect his growing music career.

They allege Rivas threatened to expose their illegal relationship publicly. Officials say the pair first connected back in 2022. Rivas was reportedly only eleven years old at that time. The alleged relationship reportedly turned sexual when she turned thirteen.

D4vd was eighteen years old when that alleged involvement began. He now faces first-degree murder charges with serious special circumstances attached. Prosecutors cite lying in wait and financial motive as aggravating factors. He is also accused of eliminating a potential witness deliberately.

Additional charges include lewd conduct with a minor under fourteen. D4vd also faces accusations of mutilating human remains after the killing. The case continues moving through the legal system as scrutiny intensifies. Celeste’s family continues seeking accountability while honouring her memory publicly.