Shocking Discovery in Hollywood: Teen’s Decomposed Body Found in Singer D4vd’s Tesla Sparks Homicide Probe and Wild Online Rumors

In a case that has gripped the nation and ignited a firestorm of speculation on social media, the decomposed remains of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were identified last week inside a Tesla registered to rising indie-pop sensation D4vd. The discovery, made in a Hollywood impound lot, has thrust the 20-year-old singer—real name David Anthony Burke—into the center of a homicide investigation, though authorities emphasize he is cooperating and no charges have been filed. As the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) digs deeper, unverified rumors of infant remains near D4vd’s residence and claims that Rivas was pregnant have exploded online, adding layers of horror to an already tragic story.

The grim find unfolded on September 8, 2025, around 12:20 p.m., when tow yard workers at a facility near Mansfield Avenue and Romaine Street in Hollywood reported a foul, overpowering stench emanating from a black 2023 Tesla Model 3. Flies swarmed the vehicle, which had been towed two days earlier after being abandoned on a nearby street in the upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood. Upon arrival, LAPD officers discovered human remains—severely decomposed and wrapped in a plastic bag—stuffed into the car’s front trunk, or “frunk.” The body, later determined to have been there for an extended period, showed signs of dismemberment, complicating initial forensic efforts.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the victim’s identity as Celeste Rivas Hernandez on September 18, through dental radiographs and other forensic markers. Rivas, a resident of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County—about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles—had been reported missing on April 5, 2024, just days after her 14th birthday. At the time of her disappearance, she was described by family as a vibrant, outgoing teen who loved music, drawing, and spending time with friends. “She was our light, always smiling and full of dreams,” her mother, Maria Hernandez, told reporters in a tearful interview outside the family’s modest home. “We searched everywhere, but this… this is a nightmare we never imagined.”

Rivas’s vanishing sent ripples through her tight-knit community. Friends recalled her as a “sweet child” who aspired to become an artist, often sketching fantastical scenes inspired by her favorite songs. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, which initially handled the missing persons report, transferred the case to LAPD upon the body’s discovery, clarifying in a statement that while early reports labeled it a homicide, the cause of death remains undetermined pending full autopsy results. Toxicology reports and DNA analysis are ongoing, with officials estimating Rivas had been deceased for weeks or possibly months before the Tesla was impounded.

The vehicle’s registration to David Anthony Burke immediately drew scrutiny to D4vd, the Houston-born singer whose viral TikTok hits like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” catapulted him to fame. At 20, the alt-pop and R&B artist boasts 3.8 million TikTok followers and recently released his debut album Withered in April 2025. He was midway through his “Withered World Tour” when the news broke—performing in Chicago on September 17—leading to the abrupt cancellation of his Seattle show and all remaining U.S. and European dates. Sources close to the tour cited “unforeseen circumstances,” but insiders whisper of mounting legal pressures.

D4vd’s representatives issued a brief statement via his publicist: “David is fully cooperating with authorities and asks for privacy during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Celeste’s family and loved ones.” According to TMZ reports, LAPD detectives informed the singer about the discovery during a phone call, to which he reportedly responded with shock, claiming no knowledge of any “untoward activity” involving his car. The Tesla, sporting Texas plates, had been parked abandoned just a mile from a Hollywood Hills rental home where D4vd had stayed intermittently.

Within hours of the identification, police executed search warrants. On September 18, overnight, LAPD raided the Hollywood Hills property, seizing computers, clothing, and potential trace evidence, including items tested with luminol for blood residue. A second search targeted D4vd’s Los Angeles apartment, yielding undisclosed materials. No arrests followed, and LAPD Detective Maria Gonzalez stressed in a press briefing, “This is an active homicide investigation. We are following all leads, but at this time, no persons of interest have been named. The public is urged to avoid speculation and report tips to Crime Stoppers.”

Yet speculation has run rampant, fueled by eerie connections unearthed by online sleuths. Photos circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit show D4vd and a girl resembling Rivas—both sporting matching “Shhh…” tattoos on their right index fingers—in a dimly lit booth at an unidentified venue. A resurfaced January 2024 livestream clip captures them interacting playfully with fans before abruptly ending and being scrubbed from platforms. Rivas’s mother confirmed to E! News that her daughter had mentioned dating a boyfriend named “David” in the months before she vanished. A February 2024 TikTok comment under one of D4vd’s videos accused him of “messing with a 13-year-old girl,” predating the discovery by 18 months.

Even more chilling: D4vd’s February 2025 music video for “One More Dance” depicts him, blindfolded in a bloodstained shirt, helping drag a lifeless body into a car trunk before dancing over a makeshift grave. Concert footage from his summer tour features casket props and mock memorials. A leaked, unreleased demo track titled “Celeste” from 2023—circulating on SoundCloud—contains lyrics about obsession and loss: “Celeste, you fade like smoke in the night / I can’t let go, you’re mine in the light.” Fans on Reddit, where D4vd allegedly moderates his own subreddit, have accused him of deleting critical posts, amplifying cries of a cover-up.

The online frenzy peaked with unsubstantiated claims of additional horrors. A viral X post from September 20, viewed over 500,000 times, alleged: “Infant remains were DISCOVERED near D4vd’s residence; they confirmed Celeste was PREGNANT. Truth is slowly coming to light as they continue to investigate.” Echoed across TikTok and Instagram, the rumor suggests Rivas, who would have been 14 at disappearance, was expecting, with the baby’s remains found separately—perhaps explaining the dismemberment and the body’s prolonged concealment. Some speculate a botched childbirth or cover-up, tying into the age gap and alleged grooming.

However, law enforcement sources and major outlets like NBC News and the Los Angeles Times have debunked these as baseless. No official reports mention pregnancy or infant remains; the medical examiner’s preliminary findings focus solely on Rivas. “These rumors are harmful and distract from the real work of justice,” said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Social media platforms have begun flagging misinformation, but the damage is done—hashtags like #JusticeForCeleste and #D4vdGuilty trend daily, with death threats flooding the singer’s accounts.

In Lake Elsinore, grief has unified a community. On September 22, over 200 residents gathered for a candlelight vigil at Machado Park, releasing white balloons emblazoned with Rivas’s smiling photo. Her family launched a GoFundMe for funeral costs, raising $150,000 in days, though Rivas’s sister publicly denied knowing D4vd and addressed scam allegations. “She was just a kid chasing dreams,” an aunt said, clutching a sketchpad filled with Rivas’s artwork. “Whoever did this to her deserves no mercy.”

As the probe intensifies— with forensic teams analyzing the Tesla for DNA and timelines—questions linger. Was the car stolen, as some early reports suggested? Did D4vd’s rising fame enable a hidden relationship with an underage fan? Or is this a tragic coincidence in a city of millions? Collaborators like Kali Uchis have distanced themselves, pulling joint tracks from playlists. D4vd, last seen in seclusion at a Houston family home, has gone silent on social media.

For Rivas’s loved ones, answers can’t come soon enough. “Celeste deserved the world,” her mother whispered at the vigil. “Not this darkness.” As Hollywood’s glare fades, the quest for truth presses on, a stark reminder of the shadows behind stardom.