Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family has called for the death penalty for her alleged killer, saying it “would be perfect” as the teenager’s 16th birthday approaches.
The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez has called for the death penalty for rapper D4vd should he be found guilty of her alleged murder.
“If the death penalty were activated, it would be perfect for this kind of human being, devoid of feelings and emptiness inside, and without conscience, who only caused pain to our daughter, our family, and the world that supports our precious daughter,” Rivas’ family said in a statement shared with the California Post.
“But that’s not in our hands, but rather in God’s, and the California justice system,” the family added.
Notably, the family shared their remarks on Sept. 6, ahead of what would have been Celeste’s 16th birthday.
Speaking outside a Los Angeles courthouse on August 31, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said no decision had been made on whether D4vd would face the death penalty upon conviction.
For the unversed, Rivas’ body was discovered in the trunk of the rapper’s Tesla, which was being held at an impound lot in Los Angeles on September 8, 2025.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez murder case
In April 2026, law enforcement apprehended D4vd in connection with the homicide of Rivas.
The prosecution asserted that the singer inflicted fatal stab wounds on the minor to prevent her from exposing their illegal encounter and harming his professional reputation.
Authorities further claimed the two first connected in 2022 when Rivas was 11, before initiating an illegal sexual involvement when she turned 13 and he was 18.
D4vd is charged with first-degree murder with the special circumstances of lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain and murdering a witness to an investigation.
He is also accused of lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years of age and mutilating human remains.
