New details are emerging in the death investigation of Celeste Rivas, the teen girl whose body was found in a car with ties to singer d4vd.
As authorities work to piece together a timeline for Rivas’ Sept. 8 death, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division shared with USA TODAY in a Monday, Sept. 29 statement that the 15-year-old was likely dead for a while before police discovered her body in an impounded Tesla left at a tow yard in Hollywood.
“The vehicle had been parked at the location from which it was towed for several weeks, so Ms. Rivas Hernandez may have been deceased for several weeks before the discovery of her body,” an LAPD spokesperson said in the statement.
The vehicle is reportedly registered under the name of d4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke.
Los Angeles Police Department Captain Scot Williams shed further light on the events leading to Rivas’ death, including the status of d4vd’s vehicle, in remarks to the Los Angeles Times and People magazine.
Despite d4vd’s association with the case, the indie pop singer and TikTok sensation has not officially been named as a suspect in the case.
LAPD confirmed to USA TODAY that the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is currently determining Rivas’ cause of death, adding that it “remains unclear whether there is any criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body.”
“We know for sure that Celeste Rivas Hernandez died and someone placed her body in the front trunk area of David Burke’s Tesla,” Williams told People in an interview published Sunday, Sept. 28. “As far as their relationship, it would be premature for me to say anything.”
The ongoing police investigation into Rivas’ death comes after d4vd abruptly canceled his Withered World Tour earlier this month. A reason for the cancellation was not disclosed.
D4vd tour troubles: Singer’s world tour canceled amid police investigation
LAPD officers responded to the 1000 block of Mansfield Avenue on Sept. 8 after reports that a foul odor was coming from the vehicle, Officer Drake Madison told USA TODAY in an email on Sept. 9. Police were unable to confirm the identity of the vehicle’s owner at the time.
The human remains were reportedly found inside a bag, which was located in the front trunk of the Tesla, per NBC4 Los Angeles and ABC 7. Authorities told the outlets that the body was in a state of decomposition.
The Los Angeles Times reported on Sept. 29 that police records show d4vd’s vehicle was marked by a parking enforcement officer on Aug. 27 after residents had complained about its extended parking in the street.
A week later, on Sept. 3, the officer issued a citation to the Tesla for violating the 72-hour parking ordinance. The vehicle was impounded two days later and transported to a tow yard in Hollywood.
During its early investigation of Rivas’ death, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported that the teen’s body “was found severely decomposed inside a vehicle” and appeared to “have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found,” according to a statement shared with USA TODAY on Sept. 18.
Additionally, the medical examiner noted that Rivas, who was described as having wavy black hair, was wearing a tube top and a pair of black leggings at the time of her death. She was also wearing a yellow metal stud earring and a yellow metal chain bracelet.
Who is Celeste Rivas? D4vd investigation identifies teen as victim found dead in singer’s car
A year before her death, Rivas was the subject of a missing person’s investigation, authorities previously confirmed to USA TODAY.
In April 2024, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 33000 block of Jamieson Street in Lake Elsinore, California, after being notified of a runaway, Lieutenant Deirdre Vickers said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY on Sept. 18. Police were subsequently informed that the individual, described as a “female juvenile,” had left the address “in an unknown direction.”
Rivas’ case was entered into the sheriff’s office’s missing persons database after deputies were unable to locate her following a search of the area, Vickers said. The investigation remained ongoing.
A breakthrough in the search came on Sept. 17 when the LAPD notified the sheriff’s office that the body of the missing female had been located and identified as Rivas.

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