The story of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is both heartbreaking and shrouded in mystery. In April 2024, the 13-year-old girl vanished from her home in Lake Elsinore, California, leaving her family and community desperate for answers. For over a year, her whereabouts remained unknown until a grim discovery in September 2025 brought her case back into the spotlight, a decomposed body found in a Tesla registered to the singer D4vd, which was later identified as Celeste. The emotional whirlwind from her initial disappearance to the tragic confirmation of her death has left many questioning how a young teen could go missing for so long and what ultimately led to her body being found in such bizarre circumstances.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s disappearance and the subsequent investigation have raised more questions than answers. From the initial missing person report to the recent identification of her remains, the case has been marked by puzzling details, including possible connections to the music artist D4vd and the delayed response to her disappearance. As new information trickles in, the community and the world are piecing together the timeline of events, hoping to understand what happened to Celeste and why it took so long to find her.
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The Disappearance and the Missing Poster
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing from her home in the 3000 block of Jamieson Street in Lake Elsinore, California, in April 2024. At the time, she was just 13 years old. According to authorities, she was classified as a runaway, which meant that despite the efforts of her family, the initial search may not have garnered the urgency it deserved.
Her mother, Mercedes Martinez, and her aunt, Dora Hernandez, took to social media to spread the word, but as time passed, the trail went cold. Celeste was last seen wearing gray pants, a black sweater, a hat, and Hello Kitty sandals, a detail that made its way into the missing person poster and symbolized the youthful innocence of a girl whose life was cut short.
The missing poster, circulated by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, described Celeste as a juvenile with a history of running away. In fact, this was at least the second time she had fled from home, but unlike previous occasions, she never returned. The poster included details about her attire and physical appearance, hoping someone might recognize her. Despite these efforts, no substantial leads were confirmed during the initial investigation.
Missing poster of Celeste Rivas from June 2024. #d4vd pic.twitter.com/FBeK4ngxsn
— rajel (@gayneopets) September 18, 2025
It wasn’t until September 2025, when her body was identified in Los Angeles, that the case regained attention. The lack of widespread awareness about her disappearance initially left many in the community shocked and frustrated. One neighbor commented, “I had no idea about any of this until today when a newsman showed up at my door,” highlighting the disconnect between the family’s plight and public awareness.
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The Investigation and Ongoing Mysteries
The investigation into Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s disappearance remained open but stagnant until September 2025, when the Los Angeles Police Department notified Riverside County authorities that a body found in an impounded Tesla had been identified as Celeste. The car, registered to David Anthony Burke (known professionally as the singer D4vd), had been towed from the Hollywood Hills area after being reported abandoned. Workers at the impound lot detected a foul odor emanating from the vehicle, which led to the gruesome discovery of human remains—a head and torso—in the front trunk. The body was so decomposed that immediate identification was impossible, requiring forensic analysis to confirm it was Celeste.
As of September 2025, the case remains steeped in mystery. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has listed Celeste’s date of death as September 8, 2025—the day her body was discovered—but the cause of death has been deferred, meaning it is still under investigation. Law enforcement has not provided a crime classification or suspect information, leaving many to wonder about the events that led to Celeste’s death.
Intriguingly, reports suggest that Celeste and D4vd may have known each other; they had matching “Shhh…” tattoos on their right index fingers, and Celeste’s mother mentioned that her daughter had been dating someone named David. Additionally, a song titled “Celeste,” credited to D4vd, was leaked online in 2023, adding another layer of complexity to the case.
Singer D4vd has a tattoo that matches one found on 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, who was discovered in his Tesla frunk
Celeste’s mother says her daughter had a boyfriend named “David.” pic.twitter.com/VNjeIDTiF0
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) September 17, 2025
The tragedy has left Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family and community reeling. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to cover funeral expenses, describing her as a “beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend.” As the investigation continues, many hope that answers will emerge to provide closure for Celeste’s loved ones. For now, however, the case serves as a sobering reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by runaway youth and the importance of timely intervention in missing person cases.
