Tragic End for Missing Teen Celeste Rivas Found in Singer’s Tesla

LOS ANGELES — The grim discovery of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s remains in a Tesla Model X impounded at a Hollywood tow yard has sent shockwaves through Southern California, unraveling a mystery that began when the Lake Elsinore teen vanished over a year ago. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner identified Rivas on September 17, listing her death on September 8, 2025, with the cause marked “deferred” pending further tests. The case, now a homicide investigation, has drawn attention to rising indie R&B star D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, though police have not named him a suspect.

On September 3, workers at a Mansfield Avenue tow lot noticed a foul odor from a silver 2023 Tesla, towed five days earlier from a Hollywood Hills street near Doheny Place. Inside the front trunk, police found Rivas’ severely decomposed body, bagged and barely recognizable. The coroner’s report described the 5-foot-2 teen, weighing 71 pounds at discovery, with wavy black hair, a stud earring, and a red-ink “Shhhh…” tattoo on her right index finger. She wore a black tube top, leggings, and a yellow metal chain bracelet shaped like a “W.”

Rivas, born September 7, 2009, was 13 when she disappeared from Lake Elsinore on April 5, 2024. A Riverside County Sheriff’s flyer noted she left home on Jamieson Street to meet her brother Matthew for a movie but never returned. Her mother, Maria Hernandez, told TMZ her daughter had been dating someone named “David,” whom she never met, and had been missing for 17 months. Hernandez grew suspicious when news broke of remains in a Tesla registered to Burke, a 20-year-old singer with 33 million monthly Spotify listeners.

The Tesla’s connection to Burke, who was touring for his “Withered” album, has fueled speculation. Photos from September 2024 show him with a girl resembling Rivas in Lake Elsinore, around her 15th birthday. A black-ink “Shhhh…” tattoo appeared on his right index finger that month, matching Rivas’ red version. While celebrities like Rihanna and Lindsay Lohan share the design, the coincidence has sparked scrutiny. X users, including @amess_liz, whose thread garnered 7,000 likes, pointed to a leaked 2023 demo titled “Celeste_Demo unfin” and Discord chats allegedly between Burke and a user, “Celi13.” Paparazzi shots also show Burke with a teen wearing a “W” bracelet like Rivas’.

LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division is investigating, executing a September 18 search warrant at a Hollywood Hills rental where the Tesla was last parked. KTLA reported Rivas’ remains showed natural disarticulation from decay, not dismemberment, though bagged, suggesting foul play. Unconfirmed rumors of pregnancy, spread by Hindustan Times and Reddit, were dismissed by officials. Burke, performing in Minneapolis when the body was found, has cooperated with police, per LAPD statements. His team told ABC News he’s “fully cooperating” while continuing his tour.

The case has disrupted Burke’s career. He canceled his September 18 Seattle show and, by September 19, scrapped U.S. tour dates in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Crocs and Hollister pulled him from campaigns, citing the investigation, per Footwear News. A leaked SoundCloud track, “Celeste,” with lyrics about “withered love,” gained 500,000 streams overnight. Interscope Records has not commented.

In Lake Elsinore, Rivas’ community mourns. A September 22 vigil at Machado Park drew over 100 residents, releasing balloons with her school photo. “Celi was full of dreams,” said neighbor Kayleigh Cortez, who saw missing posters since February 2024. Rivas’ brother Matthew told NBC4: “We were supposed to see a movie. Mom and Dad are broken.” A GoFundMe by relative Gisel Vera raised $45,000 for her October 4 funeral and a memorial scholarship.

Rivas’ history of running away, noted by neighbors and a former teacher to TMZ, points to a troubled home life. A February 2024 incident saw her retrieved from Hollywood Hills after an online meetup. Sheriff Chad Bianco urged parents to monitor their children’s online activity, calling Rivas’ case a “wake-up call.” As LAPD traces her final days, questions persist: How did a runaway teen end up in a celebrity’s car? Was “David” her downfall?

Burke’s last X post on September 7—Rivas’ birthday—read: “Lost in the silence.” Fans are split, with some defending him, citing the Tesla’s shared use, while others, like @mz_lev, whose post reached 2 million views, demand answers. Rivas’ family awaits her remains, released September 23, as Los Angeles seeks justice for a life cut short.