🚨CELESTE RIVAS HERNANDEZ (TRIGGER WARNING), more from Unsealed Pretrial Brief:
"Tellingly, defendant subsequently purchased tools to carry out his plot to dismember and dispose of the victim’s body. On April 24, 2025, defendant ordered a shovel from Home Depot that was delivered to his home from Postmates. On May 1, 2025, defendant ordered, and subsequently Amazon delivered, two chainsaws to his home. On May 5, 2025, defendant ordered, and Amazon subsequently delivered, a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and a blue inflatable pool to his home. He made these purchases under the fake name Victoria Mendez. On May 8, 2025, defendant returned to the same area in Santa Barbara County, leaving his home around 11:30 p.m. He returned to the area again on May 31, 2025. This is an isolated site off SR-154 where the victim’s identification was subsequently discovered in January 2026.
Additionally, on July 7, 2025, defendant ordered, and subsequently Amazon delivered, a “burn cage” to his home under the same fake name as part of his plan to incinerate evidence.
Moreover, defendant took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim’s body. After placing her body into the blue inflatable pool to prevent her blood from spilling onto his garage floor, defendant used a chainsaw and perhaps other tools to cut off her limbs. Small blue plastic fragments were found embedded in the victim’s remains, which were collected by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Department. The fragments were analyzed by the LAPD’s Forensic Science Division, Trace Analysis Unit. An expert was able to make a physical fit match from the blue fragments to the blue inflatable pool purchased by defendant in May 2025. In order to distance himself from the victim, he amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger contained a tattoo of his name. Her fingers have not been recovered. Defendant then placed her head and torso into the cadaver bag he purchased. He placed her limbs into a garbage bag, which he deposited into his front trunk, laying the cadaver bag on top. For several weeks, or possibly months, defendant left the victim’s body to decompose inside his Tesla. He lied to friends, business associates, and others who noticed the strong smell of decay in and around his home and vehicle. Before leaving on his concert tour at the end of July, he parked his Tesla on the street around the corner from his home."