Friends stunned as 14-year-old Celeste Rivas identified in remains found in D4vd’s Tesla

Los Angeles-area friends and colleagues of rapper D4vd are reacting with shock after officials confirmed that the dismembered remains found in the front trunk of the singer’s Tesla belong to Celeste Rivas, a 14-year-old girl who circulated in the local music scene. The discovery has intensified already fraught questions about the teen’s relationship with the 20-year-old artist, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, and the circumstances surrounding her unidentified death.

TMZ reported that insiders who partied with Burke and Rivas believed the two were romantically involved and that Rivas was about 19 at the time. The accounts from those around the pair suggested a close, perhaps dating dynamic, though authorities have not established any direct connection between Rivas’s death and Burke. The claim from four or five party attendees aligns with the broader social narrative in Los Angeles’s music circles, where the two were seen together at venues that typically required patrons to be adults. The lingering question remains how a 14-year-old could be in proximity to an adult performer in such settings, and whether that proximity played any role in the events that led to her death.

Family and friends had known Rivas as a teen who had run away from home on multiple occasions and who came from what authorities described as a troubled family environment. The investigation has focused on establishing a precise timeline: when Rivas disappeared and how long her body was in Burke’s possession before it was discovered. Authorities say there is no public link yet tying Burke to a homicide charge, and investigators have not named any suspects or persons of interest. A spokesperson for the LAPD said there are several pieces of evidence being analyzed, but there have been no updates issued since the initial disclosures about the raid on Burke’s Hollywood Hills rental home and the ongoing examination of the scene and vehicle.

The case unfolded against the backdrop of Burke’s career, which saw him rise to prominence on TikTok and later appear on late-night television in 2023. He had been traveling on the U.S. leg of his Withered World Tour when Rivas’s remains were found, and officials indicated his tour had been canceled in the aftermath. Burke’s team has not publicly commented beyond noting that he is cooperating with investigators; no statements have been issued since the discovery of Rivas’s remains.

Rivas was reported missing from Lake Elsinore in May 2024, when she was 13 years old. Her family told investigators that she left home to meet a friend to see a movie with Burke and never returned. In the weeks and months leading up to her disappearance, images surfaced on social media that appeared to show Rivas with Burke during the period when she was supposed to be missing. Authorities have not disclosed whether those images are authenticated or what they reveal about the nature of their relationship. The investigation seeks to determine how she moved from being reported missing to the front trunk of a car linked to a public figure, and what factors led up to the discovery of her remains at a Hollywood tow yard.

The case has also drawn attention to a tattoo reportedly shared by Rivas and Burke: a red ink inscription on the right index finger that matches Burke’s own tattoo. Investigators are examining whether the tattoo serves as a link between the two or is merely a coincidence. Social media chatter has included references to an unreleased Burke track titled Celeste_Demo, with online posters claiming the lyrics reference a girl named Celeste. Law enforcement officials have cautioned that such posts should be treated as rumors pending verification and evidence analysis.

As the investigation continues, authorities are working to fill critical gaps in the timeline: precisely when Rivas died, when her body was placed in Burke’s vehicle, how long she was in that state before discovery, and what—if any—conversations or actions connected Burke to the disappearance and death. Police have not provided an update on any potential leads or persons of interest, and Burke’s legal counsel has not issued statements in response to renewed media scrutiny.

Beyond the immediate legal questions, the case has prompted reflection within the music community about young people in proximity to adult performers and venues that may blur age boundaries. Local officials have reiterated calls for careful handling of missing-person cases involving minors, urging anyone with information to come forward. The broader public is urged to avoid speculation that could prejudice ongoing investigations or cast aspersions on individuals who have not been charged with a crime.

The LAPD has publicly stated that several items of evidence were collected for analysis and that the investigation is ongoing. While officials acknowledged the rapid public interest surrounding Burke, they have emphasized that no updates have been issued since the initial disclosures about the raid and the ongoing inquiries. Burke, who had been touring nationally when Rivas was last known to be alive, is not currently facing confirmed charges in connection with her death, and investigators have yet to establish a concrete link between his whereabouts and the fate of the missing teen.

In the coming weeks, investigators are expected to outline a more detailed timeline of events and to provide updates about how the case proceeds as they work to determine the cause and manner of death. The family of Celeste Rivas has requested privacy as they await answers, while friends and colleagues in the Los Angeles music scene continue to grapple with the troubling revelations and the unsettling overlap between a rising star’s public life and a private tragedy.