Rivas Hernandez’s family made their first public statement about her death this week, following Burke’s arraignment in court on Monday.
They thanked the police, prosecutors and the residents in their community of Lake Elsinore for the support over the months.
“Celeste was a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance. Every Friday night was movie night and we spent wonderful times together,” her parents Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez said in a statement.
“We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us. We miss her deeply. All we want is Justice for Celeste.”
Family attorney Patrick Steinfeld, in a statement to the BBC, said that the family was “devastated after hearing the gruesome details that came out in David Burke’s arraignment”.
At a news conference, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the teen went to Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills on 23 April 2025 and “she was never heard from again”.
“A parent’s nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back,” Hochman said.
Her parents had reported her missing in April but it wasn’t until September when she was found dead. More than seven months passed after that before police arrested the Romantic Homicide and Here With Me singer in Los Angeles last week.
The singer, who was detained by police and has been held without bail since, largely retreated from public life after the teen’s body was found in his car last year. His world tour was cancelled and deals he had with brands were also reportedly axed.