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The SoCal community is mourning the death of Celeste Rivas after the teen’s remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to R&B singer D4vd in Los Angeles.
A vigil was held in honor of the teen on Sunday, Sept. 21 in Lake Elsinore, California, as police are still trying to unravel the mystery of the teen’s death, according to KABC.
What happened to missing teen Celeste Rivas?
The investigation began after her remains were discovered decomposing inside a Tesla registered to the singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, just one day after her 15th birthday, per the Los Angeles Times.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told the vehicle was impounded by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation after it was parked on a public street for more than 72 hours.
It was taken to a Hollywood tow yard, where employees noticed a foul odor and alerted authorities, who made the grim discovery inside the trunk of the vehicle and launched a death investigation on Sept. 8.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that the remains, which were found in a bag, had been positively identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a juvenile who had been reported missing from Lake Elsinore in 2024, NBC News reports.
The medical examiner has yet to determine a cause of death in the case. Authorities believe the girl may have been dead for some time before the remains were discovered.
Spokesperson says D4vd is “fully cooperating” with investigation
Police have not commented about what relationship, if any, the singer had to the teen. When news of the discovery broke D4vd was in the midst of a national tour promoting his debut album, Withered although the latest stops along the tour appear to be canceled.
A spokesperson for the singer previously told NBC News he was “fully cooperating with authorities” as the investigation continues.
Police recover “several items of evidence” in property search
Police told Oxygen a property in 13000 block of Doheny Place, which multiple media outlets have linked to D4vd, was searched on Sept. 17 by detectives from the robbery-homicide division.
Authorities confirmed the search was done “in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.”
“Several items of evidence were recovered and will be analyzed by detectives in the coming days,” the spokesperson told Oxygen. “This is an ongoing investigation. Investigators are following up on several leads.”
Vigil held for Celeste Rivas
The community gathered to remember the teen Sunday at a vigil in Lake Elsinore.
“This really hits home as a mom,” one mourner identified by KTLA only as Evelyn told the outlet. “This could have been anybody’s kid.”
Aubrey Domingo, who had once been a classmate of Rivas’ told the station she was shocked by the news of her death.
“I feel really bad for what happened to her because this story is really messed up,” she said. “I don’t even know what to say.”
