Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 15-year-old girl who vanished in April 2024, has been at the center of a heartbreaking investigation after her dismembered body was discovered inside a Tesla registered to the singer d4vd. Recent reports suggest her body had been frozen, complicating efforts by the L.A. County Medical Examiner to establish an official cause of death.
According to sources close to the case, by the time authorities received Celeste’s remains, her body was in a grisly state: decapitated, limbs removed and cut into multiple pieces, and partially frozen. Those parts had apparently begun thawing inside the trunk of d4vd’s Tesla. The condition of the remains led the medical examiner to lean toward a ruling of “undetermined” rather than a definitive homicide, though detectives are still treating her death as a potential crime.
Investigation details paint a chilling scene. The Tesla had been parked for days in the Hollywood Hills and was eventually cited for violating parking rules. It was then towed to a yard, where workers later reported a foul odor and opened the front trunk — only to find Celeste’s body wrapped in plastic. The LAPD now considers d4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) a suspect.
Celeste had been reported missing several times in 2024, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and her disappearance weighed heavily on her hometown in Lake Elsinore. Residents described her as quiet, hardworking, and sweet — a young spark now gone too soon.
Her body was formally identified by the county medical examiner’s office, which noted she had been deceased in the car for an extended period. But as for how she died, the medical examiner’s office has listed the cause as deferred, pending lab and toxicology tests.
Following the discovery, authorities executed a search warrant on a rental home in the Hollywood Hills linked to d4vd. Investigators reportedly seized electronics and evidence, though it remains unclear how deeply he’s involved or whether someone helped him conceal the body. A second person is now being probed as possibly having aided in dismembering and disposing of Celeste’s remains.
Celeste’s family has since laid her to rest after the coroner released her body. A memorial service was held on October 4, and a GoFundMe raised thousands to help with funeral expenses. Meanwhile, d4vd canceled the rest of his U.S. tour, sparking widespread public shock and calls for justice.
This case remains under investigation. Detectives say they’re committed to uncovering the truth — and holding whoever is responsible accountable.
