LOS ANGELES – A Southern California teacher recently revealed to his class that 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, the missing teenager found dead in singer D4vd’s Tesla, was his former student.

In a video posted on TikTok, the teacher is seen allegedly showing a photo of Rivas to his students. He also identified another student of his standing with D4vd in a viral photo taken near where Rivas lived.

The teacher, who remains unidentified, told TMZ that both students attended Lakeland Village Middle School in Lake Elsinore, where he no longer works.

“When I taught her, she met this dude on social media. He was a rapper in LA,” he said in the video, referring to Rivas and D4vd. “He came and got her. She ran away from home. She was gone for, like, a month. The cops found her in Hollywood, brought her back to our school.”

After Rivas allegedly told her classmates the story, she disappeared again in May 2024, he said. Following this second disappearance, the teacher said his students told him the artist, presumably D4vd, was being blackmailed.

That was the last time he heard about Rivas.

The teacher told TMZ he shared the story with his students as a “cautionary tale” about the dangers of social media.

Dangerous claims

What they’re saying:

“Rivas’ teacher put out a video and it may be the smoking gun in the case,” said Neama Rahmani with West Coast Trial Lawyers.

He said the teacher’s claims are damaging because Rivas was only 13 when she first went missing in April 2024. If investigators confirm she ran away with D4vd at that time, he would have been 18.

 “The mere fact that an 18-year-old is in the presence of a 13-year-old who had run away is not unlawful, but if there’s any sexual activity, if there is any force or coercion that could be kidnapping, that could be rape, that could be trafficking, that’s the exposure that D4vd has, setting aside the fact that she’s now been found dead,” he added.

Dmitry Gorin, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, said at this time it isn’t clear that D4vd did anything wrong.

“It is his car. The victim, this decedent, they obviously knew each other. They had matching tattoos, but I have not seen anything reported in the media that he was responsible, or is responsible for her tragic death,” Gorin said.

The former prosecutor said while the court of public opinion may already believe D4vd was involved in Rivas’ death, proving it in court will be far more difficult.

FOX 11 asked Gorin how as a criminal law attorney he would defend the fact that Rivas’ body was found in D4vd’s car.

“A plausible reason of what happened, possibly is that she had access to his car. He travels the world, doing what he does as a rapper, and somebody, one of his friends, somebody else harmed her and put her in the car,” he said.

“She might have come to her tragic death in another way that had nothing to do with this rapper.”

What is Rivas’ connection with D4vd?

The backstory:

The dismembered remains of Rivas were discovered on Sept. 8, a day after her birthday, inside D4vd’s Tesla after employees at Hollywood Tow reported smelling a strong odor.

When police arrived, they discovered the body wrapped in a bag inside the Tesla’s trunk.

According to the LAPD, the Tesla was impounded and towed to the yard — an “official police garage” — by the city Department of Transportation because it was “parked on a public street for more than 72 hours.”

Neighbors said the Tesla had been moved several times over the past three months before it was found on Bluebird Avenue, where it was ultimately located.

Rivas was 13-years-old when she was reported missing on April 5, 2024 in Lake Elsinore.

TMZ’ Charles Latibeaudiere told FOX 11 they got a tip last week and reached out to Rivas’ mom, who told them that all she knew was that Celeste was dating someone named “David”, although she’d never seen the boy. Rivas’ mother told the publication her daughter had been missing for more than a year, and she was suspicious of the remains found in the Tesla.

Rivas and D4vd both shared matching “Sshhh…” tattoos on their index fingers.

Following news of Rivas’ death, D4vd canceled his show in Seattle as part of his “Withered” world tour, according to TMZ. D4vd had been touring during the ongoing investigation and police said he was cooperating with investigators. The LAPD has not named him a person of interest or a suspect.

Not long after D4vd’s name was linked to the Tesla investigation, he was dropped by Crocs and Hollister just days after he was announced as the face of their “Dream Drop” collaboration.

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, detectives with the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide division served a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills home believed to be occupied by D4vd.

According to TMZ, detectives seized a computer and left with several evidence bags after the search.

Amid the ongoing investigation, D4vd has canceled his world tour. He was scheduled to perform at The Greek Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20 then break until his next performance in Norway in October.

Authorities said he continues to be cooperative and is assisting in the investigation.

D4vd cooperating with police

What we don’t know:

The exact circumstances of Rivas’ death are currently unknown.

It is not clear if her relationship with D4vd was romantic, nor is it clear if he is responsible for her death.

While some have suggested a possible connection between his music and the crime, no official link has been established.

The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made.