Los Angeles authorities have confirmed that the body found earlier this month inside a car registered to singer D4vd belongs to 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, a California teenager who vanished more than a year ago.
The grim discovery was made on September 8, 2025, after workers at a Hollywood tow yard reported a strong odor coming from a Tesla that had been impounded. Police say the vehicle, which carried a Texas license plate, had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills about five days before it was towed.
Inside the car’s front trunk—known as the “frunk”—officers found human remains concealed in a bag. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the victim as Celeste Rivas, who was first reported missing in April 2024 when she was just 13 years old. She was last seen in her hometown of Lake Elsinore, California.
Authorities said the teenager’s remains were in an advanced state of decomposition. Distinctive features, including a tattoo on her right index finger that read “Shhh…”, helped confirm her identity.
Investigators are now treating the case as a homicide, though the cause and exact time of death have not yet been determined. The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division has taken over the investigation.
The Tesla where Rivas was found is registered to 20-year-old David Anthony Burke, better known by his stage name D4vd. The Houston-born artist gained international fame with viral hits like Here With Me and Romantic Homicide, and he released his debut album earlier this year.
At the time of the discovery, D4vd was on tour. His scheduled performance in Seattle was cancelled after news of the case broke. Police have stated that the singer is cooperating fully with detectives, and so far no arrests have been made.
The identification of Rivas has brought a heartbreaking end to a long search for answers. Friends, family, and community members who had campaigned for her safe return are now mourning her loss.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Celeste Rivas’ disappearance or how her body ended up in the abandoned Tesla to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.