LAPD Captain Unveils New Details about What Police Saw When Celeste Rivas Hernandez Was Found Dead in a Car Trunk

Rumors have surrounded the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and now, the police department reveals exactly what was discovered in the trunk of that Tesla.

A missing teen. An abandoned Tesla. A sealed autopsy file. As new court filings confirm the case is now being investigated as murder, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officials are pushing back hard against false and graphic online speculation.

Meanwhile, a judge moved to seal critical records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office in an effort to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.

LAPD Debunks Claims, Addresses Victim's Condition and Reported Age

Rivas Hernandez, a Los Angeles teenager who went missing at 14, was found dead in the trunk of a towed Tesla on September 8 — just one day after her 15th birthday. Authorities believe she likely died before turning 15, according to the Los Angeles Times on Monday, November 24, 2025.

The car had been abandoned for weeks in the Hollywood Hills and was registered to multiplatinum recording artist d4vd.

In an exclusive statement to People, LAPD Capt. Scot Williams, who heads the Robbery-Homicide Division, directly dispelled sensational online claims that had begun to spread.

“Celeste's body was not frozen," Williams revealed. "She was not decapitated. The whole frozen thing doesn't even make sense. Her body was in the car for weeks."

Williams added that even if her body had been frozen before being placed in the vehicle — something for which there is no evidence — Los Angeles' summer heat would have made that state physically impossible by the time she was discovered.

As police work to correct misinformation, court records now reveal a shift in how investigators are officially approaching the case.

Judge Seals Autopsy Findings to Safeguard Ongoing Murder Investigation

According to court filings, LAPD Detective Joshua Byers described the case as a murder investigation and warned that releasing autopsy findings could jeopardize the probe, expose potential witnesses, and slow efforts to gather evidence.

In response, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Richman approved the request to seal all records — including the cause and manner of death, the coroner's declaration, and all related documents — placing them under court custody until further notice.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed on Monday that a security hold has been placed on the case. The LAPD first requested it on September 15, but it was initially denied due to "insufficient justification to warrant the hold."

Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo expressed concern over the court decision, stating, "Since becoming the department head, I've worked on eradicating the practice of placing security holds on Medical Examiner cases simply by law enforcement request."

Ukpo added that such holds are "virtually unheard of in other counties" and have "not been proven to improve outcomes in the legal system." Still, he acknowledged that the department must comply as long as the court order remains in effect.

As of now, the LAPD has not identified any suspects. Officials say further details will be released once the seal is lifted.

However, the direction of the investigation soon shifted. As previously reported, authorities began considering d4vd as a suspect. This development prompted a broader probe into his movements, properties, and past contact with the teen.

The update came alongside the release of Rivas Hernandez's death certificate, repeated police visits to her home, previously published surveillance footage, and a fundraising appeal from her family.

Investigation Ongoing as Singer Refuses to Cooperate

Authorities said no arrests had been made but confirmed the investigation remained active. According to ABC News on November 19, detectives had spoken with several individuals they believed might be connected to the case. They said they were "certain they are going down the right path for a suspect."

Sources directly familiar with the case said that d4vd had refused to cooperate with investigators at any point, despite his representatives having made public statements suggesting otherwise.

Remains Found in Tesla as Police Expand Probe to Property and Tour Activity

Police were called to a Hollywood tow yard after staff reported a strong, foul odor emanating from an impounded Tesla. When officers opened the vehicle's front trunk, they found a bag containing human remains, later confirmed to be those of Rivas Hernandez.

At the time, a source from the LAPD said the body had been dismembered and was in an advanced state of decomposition, which had made determining the exact cause of death difficult. Investigators believed she had been killed earlier in the year.

At that point, the LA County Medical Examiner had not yet determined a cause or manner of death. A death certificate obtained in early October listed the cause as "deferred," pending additional testing. It also stated that Rivas Hernandez had not been pregnant in the year before her death.

Shortly afterward, detectives searched a Hollywood Hills property where d4vd had recently stayed. They removed multiple pieces of evidence, including a computer. Records showed the lease had been terminated early.

On September 23, public records showed that d4vd had transferred ownership of his Cypress, Texas, home to his mother. This occurred less than a week after deputies had responded to a false swatting call at that same address.

At the time Rivas Hernandez's body was found, d4vd was on tour, with a scheduled performance in Los Angeles on September 20. That show and the rest of the tour were canceled shortly afterward.

Records and Footage Trace Teen's Movements Before Her Death

As the investigation continued, ABC News obtained a call log showing that Riverside County deputies had responded to Rivas Hernandez's Lake Elsinore home multiple times between 2022 and 2025. The log showed numerous entries in 2024, marked "FU," which stands for "follow-up," and were likely not calls for service.

The teen was last reported missing in April 2024, and her family last heard from her during a phone call in late May.

In late September, TMZ published surveillance footage obtained from a Nest security camera that appeared to show Rivas Hernandez alive on September 8, 2024.

The video showed a girl, believed to be the teen, confronting neighbors in Lake Elsinore over a prank involving their children. Neighbors reportedly recognized her from missing posters that circulated earlier that year.

Following the identification of the teen's remains at a tow yard, the Rivas Hernandez family launched a GoFundMe campaign on September 18 to help cover expenses and seek community support.

The fundraiser, created by Esmeralda Lozano, described her as "a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend," and added, "Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss."