R&B Singer D4vd Named Primary Suspect in Homicide of 15-Year-Old Celeste Rivas Hernandez

When the dismembered body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found inside a Tesla parked in a residential Los Angeles neighborhood in September 2025, no one could have predicted it would lead straight to one of music’s most buzzed-about young stars. Now, investigators have confirmed what the city has been whispering: D4vd, the 20-year-old R&B singer born David, is the primary suspect in her murder. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Robbery Homicide Division officially labeled the case a homicide on November 19, 2025, after two months of forensic work, surveillance analysis, and a chilling new piece of evidence — a midnight car trip to the California wilderness.

The Discovery That Shook Los Angeles

Celeste Rivas Hernandez vanished in early September 2025. Her family reported her missing on September 12. By September 19, her remains were found inside a black Tesla Model Y registered to D4vd, parked outside a gated community in South Los Angeles. The body had been cut into pieces — limbs separated, torso bisected — and wrapped in heavy-duty plastic. The scene was not chaotic. It was clinical. Too clinical for a single person to have accomplished alone, according to forensic experts briefed by the LAPD.

"It wasn’t just brutal," one source told KTLA. "It was organized. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. And they weren’t alone." The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office confirmed Celeste had been dead for at least 10 to 14 days before discovery. Toxicology results are still pending, but initial findings suggest she may have been drugged before death. No signs of sexual assault were found, ruling out a common motive. The focus shifted quickly to personal connection — and to D4vd.

The Mysterious Trip to Santa Barbara

The case took a dramatic turn on November 20, 2025, when TMZ Live revealed that D4vd had taken a solo, middle-of-the-night drive to a remote stretch of land near Gaviota State Park in Santa Barbara County — roughly 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles — sometime between March and May 2025. GPS data from his phone and vehicle, obtained via warrant, showed he parked off a dirt road near an abandoned cattle ranch, stayed for nearly three hours, and returned before sunrise. No witnesses, no receipts, no explanation.

"That trip is front and center," a LAPD investigator told TMZ. "It’s the only unaccounted-for window we have before the body was moved. And it’s the only place where we haven’t found trace evidence yet." Forensic teams have since begun searching the area for tools, clothing, or biological material. Investigators believe the remote location may have been used to dismember Celeste’s body before transporting it back to Los Angeles in the Tesla.

Who Helped Him?

The most disturbing revelation? Multiple people were likely involved. The precision of the cuts, the use of heavy-duty saws and cutting tools, and the logistics of handling a body without detection all point to assistance. "It’s not the work of one person," said a forensic pathologist familiar with the case. "The dismemberment required two, possibly three people. One to restrain, one to cut, one to clean up." LAPD sources confirm they’re actively investigating at least two other individuals linked to D4vd’s inner circle — a road manager who traveled with him during his spring tour and a studio assistant who worked on his debut album. Both have been interviewed, but neither has been charged. The absence of surveillance footage from the Tesla’s interior, combined with the singer’s use of encrypted messaging apps, has slowed progress.

"We’re not just chasing a killer," said one detective. "We’re chasing a cover-up. And that’s harder."

Who Is D4vd?

Born David in 2005 in Los Angeles, D4vd rose to fame in 2023 with his moody, minimalist R&B sound — think The Weeknd meets Frank Ocean, with a dash of TikTok virality. His debut album, Childhood Dreams, reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200. He’s collaborated with artists like Giveon and has over 12 million followers on Instagram. His public image? Quiet, introspective, artistic. The kind of guy who posts late-night piano covers and avoids drama.

Friends describe him as "private to the point of isolation." One former classmate from Beverly Hills High recalled: "He never talked about his family. Never posted about girls. Just music. And he always had this… look. Like he was waiting for something to happen." That eerie detachment now haunts the investigation.

What Comes Next?

The LAPD is expected to file charges within the next 10 days — possibly first-degree murder with special circumstances, given the dismemberment and concealment. If toxicology results show drugs were involved, prosecutors may add charges of drug-facilitated assault.

The search in Santa Barbara County continues. Drones, ground-penetrating radar, and cadaver dogs are being deployed. Meanwhile, D4vd remains in custody on an unrelated warrant — a minor weapons violation from a 2024 traffic stop — and has not been formally charged. His legal team has issued no statement.

The case has already sparked national debate: Can fame shield someone from justice? And when a teenager vanishes, who’s listening?

Why This Matters

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was a sophomore at John Marshall High School. She played violin in the orchestra. She loved anime. Her last text to her mother read: "I’ll be home after practice. Don’t wait up." She was never found alive.

This isn’t just about a celebrity. It’s about how easily a child can disappear in plain sight — and how quickly the world moves on when the victim isn’t famous. The fact that it took two months to even identify a suspect, and that the body was hidden in a luxury car owned by a rising star, speaks to a system that often prioritizes the powerful.

The LAPD says they’re not done. And neither should we be.