Los Angeles authorities obtained a court order this week preventing the county medical examiner from releasing information about a 15-year-old girl whose body was discovered inside an impounded Tesla registered to singer d4vd. The body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found Sept. 8 in Los Angeles, days after her birthday, and county officials say the case is under a security hold at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD detectives assigned to the Robbery Homicide Division are leading an active investigation, and the medical examiner has been barred from publishing the cause and manner of death pending further notice. Local outlets had reported the vehicle’s registration linked to David Anthony Burke, known professionally as d4vd, but police have not publicly confirmed suspect status.
Key takeaways
- The body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found Sept. 8 in an impounded Tesla in Los Angeles, shortly after her 15th birthday.
- The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said the remains were “severely decomposed” and likely in the vehicle for an extended period.
- The LAPD requested a court-ordered security hold that bars release of the medical examiner report, including cause and manner of death.
- News reports linked the car’s registration to David Anthony Burke (d4vd), age 20; LAPD has not publicly confirmed any suspect designation.
- LAPD Robbery Homicide Division detectives are actively investigating; the department says the hold preserves investigative integrity.
- d4vd, who rose to prominence on TikTok in 2022 with “Romantic Homicide,” canceled recent North American shows and a planned European tour after the developments.
Background
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was last reported seen in April 2024 in Lake Elsinore, the community where she grew up, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The discovery on Sept. 8 came more than four months later and prompted an investigation by the LAPD after the vehicle was impounded and inspected. County medical officials issued an initial statement describing severe decomposition and noting the likelihood that she had been deceased in the vehicle for an extended period prior to discovery.
The vehicle’s registration was reported by multiple local stations as belonging to the singer known as d4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke and who is 20 years old. d4vd gained a large following among younger audiences for a blend of indie, R&B and lo-fi pop, and achieved viral success on TikTok in 2022 with the song “Romantic Homicide,” which reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. He signed to Darkroom and Interscope Records and released two EPs in 2023, then his debut full-length album in April 2024.
Main event
On Sept. 8, county officials say deputies located Rivas Hernandez’s body inside an impounded Tesla in Los Angeles. The coroner described the remains as severely decomposed in a September statement and said the medical examiner would normally release a report, but that a security hold has been placed on the file. The hold was issued by a court order initiated by the LAPD and demands no records or details associated with the case be released or posted online until further notice.
LAPD Capt. Mike Bland told reporters the security hold was requested to preserve the integrity of an ongoing homicide investigation, saying investigators should receive key information before it becomes public. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo said that such holds are rare in California counties and that the medical examiner’s office is legally constrained from publishing records while the order remains in effect. The department did not provide additional operational details about the inquiry or a timeline for when information might be released.
In the days before the court order, several Los Angeles television stations, citing anonymous sources, reported police were treating the singer as a suspect. The LAPD has not publicly confirmed that characterization, and attorneys for David Anthony Burke did not provide comment to media on the record. Following the reports and the court order, a number of d4vd’s scheduled performances—including two North American shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles and a planned appearance at the Grammy Museum—were canceled, as was a European tour slated to begin Oct. 1 in Norway.
Analysis & implications
The court-ordered security hold underscores the tension between public transparency and investigative confidentiality in high-profile deaths. Medical examiner reports often provide crucial answers about cause and manner of death, but releasing them prematurely can compromise interviews, forensics, or legal proceedings. LAPD’s stated aim—ensuring investigators access information ahead of public disclosure—reflects standard investigative caution, though it has raised questions from officials who typically expect greater openness from the coroner’s office.
For the singer and his team, the case has immediate professional and reputational repercussions: several concerts and promotional events were canceled, disrupting touring revenue and marketing plans tied to an April album release. In the court of public opinion, early media reports linking a high-profile individual to an investigation can create enduring impressions regardless of eventual legal outcomes. That dynamic makes careful, source-verified reporting and restrained official communication especially important in the coming weeks.
At a broader level, the incident highlights challenges in policing and child-safety systems, including how missing-teen cases are tracked across jurisdictions and how information-sharing is handled. Rivas Hernandez was last seen in April in a different city; the gap between disappearance and discovery raises questions about interagency coordination, resource allocation for missing-persons cases, and the mechanisms that alert communities when minors are unaccounted for.
Comparison & data
| Event | Date / Detail |
|---|---|
| Last seen | April 2024, Lake Elsinore (≈60 miles/95 km SE of downtown LA) |
| Body discovered | Sept. 8, 2024, in impounded Tesla (Los Angeles) |
| Victim age | 15 years old |
| Vehicle registration | Linked in reports to David Anthony Burke (d4vd), age 20 |
| Artist milestones | “Romantic Homicide” viral 2022, peaked No. 4 on Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative |
| Tour impact | North American shows and Oct. 1 European leg canceled |
The table above consolidates public dates and reported links. While the timeline of last sighting (April) and discovery (Sept. 8) is established in official statements, many investigative details remain sealed under the court order. That constraint limits external verification of forensic timing, movement of the vehicle, or the sequence of investigative actions taken by the LAPD after the vehicle was impounded.
Reactions & quotes
Before the security hold, media outlets reported anonymous sources saying investigators considered the singer a suspect. Those media reports were cited widely but have not been corroborated by an LAPD public statement.
“It was done so that our investigators get the information before the media and the public.”
LAPD Capt. Mike Bland
Capt. Bland framed the hold as an investigative safeguard. He emphasized that detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division are leading the inquiry and that the department seeks to prevent compromised evidence or witness tampering while the case progresses.
“We are dedicated to serving our community with full transparency; however, the law precludes us from doing so while the court order remains in this case.”
Dr. Odey Ukpo, Chief Medical Examiner
Dr. Ukpo noted the office’s general commitment to transparency and said holds of this nature are unusual in California counties. He stressed the medical examiner’s obligation to follow court directions even when they limit the office’s normal disclosure practices.
Unconfirmed
- Media reports naming d4vd as a suspect were based on anonymous sources and have not been publicly confirmed by LAPD or prosecutors.
- The precise cause and manner of Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death have not been released due to the court-ordered security hold.
- Details about how the body came to be in the impounded Tesla, including timing of vehicle possession and movements, remain under investigation and unverified publicly.
Bottom line
A court order requested by the LAPD has temporarily blocked the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner from disclosing details about the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, found Sept. 8 in an impounded Tesla linked in reports to singer d4vd. Authorities say the hold is intended to protect the integrity of an active homicide investigation, but it also limits public access to normally available coroner information. That balance between investigative secrecy and transparency will shape public understanding as the case progresses.
In practical terms, the order has immediate effects: investigators maintain control of investigative disclosures, media reporting is constrained to confirmed statements, and the subject of repeated news reports—David Anthony Burke—faces professional fallout from canceled performances. Observers and local officials will be watching for when and how the court lifts the hold, which will determine the next wave of published facts and any potential criminal or civil actions that follow.