What We Know So Far About Celeste Rivas, the Missing Teen Found in d4vd’s Tesla
The tragic case of Celeste Rivas, a California teen who disappeared at age 13, has collided with the career of one of music’s fastest-rising stars, d4vd. Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that Rivas's remains were discovered inside a Tesla registered to the 20-year-old singer.
Her disappearance, the abandoned vehicle, and the shocking discovery have left investigators — and the public — searching for answers.
The disappearance
On April 5, 2024, Rivas went missing from her home in Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. She was just 13 years old. For more than a year, her family and community campaigned tirelessly, posting flyers and organizing searches, but no confirmed sightings surfaced.
The abandoned Tesla
Fast forward to late summer 2025: a Tesla tied to d4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was spotted abandoned in the Hollywood Hills. Neighbors said the car had been sitting for weeks before authorities finally had it towed in early September.
A discovery at the tow yard
On September 8, 2025, staff at a Hollywood tow yard reported a foul odor coming from the vehicle. When LAPD officers searched it, they discovered a decomposing body inside a bag in the front trunk. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office began an autopsy but could not immediately confirm the victim’s identity due to the state of the remains.
Confirming Celeste’s identity
By September 17–18, forensic work allowed authorities to positively identify the victim as Rivas. She would have been 15 years old at the time of discovery. Officials noted tattoos, jewelry, and other identifying details matched records from her missing-person case.
Her cause and manner of death remain pending. The LAPD has not announced any suspects or officially classified the case as a homicide.
Impact on d4vd’s tour
D4vd, who skyrocketed to fame with viral hits like Romantic Homicide and Here With Me, is currently on a U.S. and international tour. Following the announcement, his team canceled his Seattle concert on September 17, but other dates remain listed. Police have emphasized that the singer is cooperating with their investigation.
What happens next
The next key step is the Medical Examiner’s report, which will establish how Rivas died. That determination could shape the LAPD’s investigation — whether it remains an undetermined death or shifts into a criminal case.
For Rivas’s family, the identification brings the heartbreak of closure but not the peace of knowing what happened to their daughter.
Until investigators release further details, the unanswered questions surrounding Rivas’s death — and how she ended up in the singer’s abandoned Tesla — remain at the center of one of the year’s most unsettling stories.
