Police say the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was likely inside a vehicle belonging to musician David Anthony Burke, known professionally as d4vd, for several weeks before it was discovered earlier this month, according to reports.
LAPD Captain Scot M. Williams said investigators believe the teenager’s body was placed in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla, which had been left in a Hollywood Hills parking area before being towed on Sept. 8.
“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. “We know that the Tesla had been parked at the location from which it was towed for several weeks, so it is very likely Celeste Rivas Hernandez had been dead for several weeks prior to her body being discovered.”
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not determined a cause or manner of death.
“We don’t know for sure if anyone has any criminal culpability for her death beyond the concealment of her dead body,” Williams said.
The LAPD’s robbery-homicide division is leading the investigation.
Officers located the body after responding to reports of a foul odor from the abandoned vehicle. The discovery came one day after Rivas Hernandez’s 15th birthday. She had been reported missing on April 5 by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and had previously been reported missing on at least two other occasions in 2024, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The LAPD confirmed that a search warrant was executed at a residence near where the Tesla had been parked.
A landlord told SFGate that Burke and his manager had been living there but moved out shortly after authorities seized electronics and other property. Williams declined to confirm what was recovered.
Speculation has circulated online about a possible connection between Rivas Hernandez and the 20-year-old singer.
The medical examiner confirmed the teen had a “Shhh” tattoo on her right index finger, similar to one seen on Burke.
“As far as their relationship, it would be premature for me to say anything,” Williams said.
Burke has not been named as a suspect or charged in the case.
His representative previously told NBC Los Angeles that he is cooperating with authorities, but police would not confirm that.
Following the discovery, Burke canceled the remainder of his U.S. tour. The Houston-born artist, whose songs include “Here With Me” and “One More Dance,” released his debut album “Withered” in April.
The cause and manner of Rivas Hernandez’s death remain under investigation.
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