Prosecutors Present Text Messages Showing Threats Before Teen's Death
During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors read text messages in which the victim allegedly threatened the suspect, while the defense highlighted prior violence and self-harm statements by the victim.
Prosecutors at a Los Angeles preliminary hearing read a series of text messages exchanged between 14-year-old Celeste Rivas and musician D4vd in the hours before her death. The messages show Rivas demanding to know why D4vd remained friends with former acquaintance Aysia Collins and, according to the testimony, threatening to kill and strangle him.
"Oh my God, I swear to God, I’ll kill you," the text read, and it also included threats to mutilate him, spread false statements to his father, and end his career.
The next evening, the tone of the messages shifted as D4vd arranged for an Uber to bring Rivas to his Hollywood Hills residence. At 10:02 p.m., Rivas texted, "girly pop I'm almost there open your door if you're home," and D4vd replied eight minutes later, "gate open door unlocked." No further messages were received from Rivas after that point.
D4vd continued to send texts asking for her location, whether she had blocked him, and indicating he would contact a third party named Jen. He repeated inquiries after midnight, suggesting he was unaware of her whereabouts.
During cross-examination, D4vd’s attorney, Blair Berk, focused on the threatening messages, while LAPD Detective Corey Farrell corroborated that Rivas had twice threatened to kill and strangle the suspect and to damage his career. The defense presented additional texts indicating that Rivas had previously been violent toward D4vd and had spoken about self-harm, arguing that she had initiated the visit before D4vd’s scheduled Asia tour.
Prosecutors maintain that D4vd lured the teenager to his home on April 23, 2025, where she was fatally stabbed and later dismembered, with remains later found in his vehicle. The case remains under investigation.