R&B Singer D4vd Named Suspect in Teen's Dismembered Body Discovery

The dismembered body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found inside a Tesla registered to 20-year-old R&B artist D4vd — real name David — in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles in September 2025, more than a year after she vanished from her home in Lake Elsinore, California. The discovery, made at a Los Angeles County tow yard after the vehicle was reported abandoned near D4vd’s rental property, has turned a quiet missing persons case into a chilling homicide investigation. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, which handles Lake Elsinore jurisdiction, now considers D4vd a suspect. But here’s the thing: no charges have been filed. Not yet. Not even close.

The Timeline That Doesn’t Add Up

Celeste disappeared in late 2023. Her family reported her missing in November of that year. No signs of struggle. No ransom note. No social media activity after October 17. For over a year, her case faded into the background — until a Tesla, left unlocked and idling near 1200 North El Camino Real in Hollywood Hills, was flagged by a neighbor at 12:00 AM UTC on September 14, 2025. When deputies towed it to the impound lot, they found human remains inside. Forensic analysis confirmed they belonged to Celeste. The body had been dismembered. The car’s GPS logs showed it had traveled from Lake Elsinore to Los Angeles over a 48-hour window in mid-September. D4vd, who was on tour at the time, didn’t return to his rental until three days after the car was abandoned.

The Santa Barbara Trip That Has Investigators Stunned

What’s making detectives lean harder on D4vd isn’t just the car. It’s the spring. Specifically, between March 20 and June 20, 2025, D4vd took a solo, unannounced trip to a remote stretch of Santa Barbara County — a place with no cell service, no gas stations, and only one dirt road leading in. According to TMZ, who obtained GPS data from D4vd’s phone and vehicle, he parked near the edge of the Los Padres National Forest and stayed for roughly five hours. No witnesses. No receipts. No hotel check-in. His phone was on airplane mode the entire time. One local hiker told investigators he saw a man in a black hoodie dragging a large duffel bag into the brush near the trailhead at 3:17 a.m. on April 12. The description matches D4vd. The timeline? It lines up with when investigators believe Celeste may have been killed.

Who’s Investigating — And Who’s Holding Back

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, which has 3,200 sworn officers and oversees Lake Elsinore, is leading the homicide probe. But the body was found in Los Angeles County, so the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is assisting with evidence collection. Meanwhile, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, led by Michael H. Rackie, has received no formal case file. "The police have not presented the case to our office," a spokesperson confirmed. "At this point, I cannot anticipate one way or the other whether or not charges will be filed." That’s not unusual — prosecutors often wait for forensic reports, witness statements, and digital evidence before making a charging decision. But it’s also unusual for a case this high-profile to remain this quiet for so long.

Meanwhile, KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade reported live from the impound lot that the Tesla’s interior had been cleaned with industrial-grade solvents. No fingerprints. No DNA traces on the steering wheel. But inside the trunk lining, investigators found traces of human tissue consistent with bone marrow — and a single strand of hair that doesn’t match D4vd’s.

Why This Case Feels Different

This isn’t just another celebrity scandal. Celeste was a quiet, artistic girl who loved painting and writing poetry. Her parents say she was active on TikTok, posting covers of R&B songs — including a few by D4vd. They never met, but she’d mentioned him in her journal: "He sings like he’s crying and doesn’t even know it." That connection, however tenuous, is now under forensic scrutiny. Did she reach out? Was there a private message? A DM? Authorities haven’t released her phone records — but sources say they’re looking at whether D4vd ever responded to her online.

And then there’s the music. D4vd’s latest album, Ghost Notes, dropped in August 2025. One track, "Concrete Heart," features lyrics like: "I buried her where the pines don’t breathe / No one finds what the earth keeps." Fans noticed the line weeks before the body was found. No one thought much of it — until they did.

What Happens Next?

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says it expects to complete its evidence package by late December 2025. That includes cell tower pings, surveillance footage from gas stations along the LA-I-15 corridor, and a forensic reconstruction of the Tesla’s movements. If they find probable cause, they’ll hand it to Rackie’s office. If not, the case could go cold again — and D4vd may walk away with nothing but a tarnished reputation.

But here’s the quiet truth: even if charges never come, the public won’t forget. Celeste’s face is on billboards in Lake Elsinore. Her family has started a foundation for missing teens. And D4vd? His tour dates have been canceled. His label, Interscope, has issued a statement saying they’re "monitoring the situation." That’s corporate code for: we’re distancing ourselves.