Updated

Updated · NBC Los Angeles · Jul 23

LAPD Ties Celeste Rivas Hernandez's DNA to D4vd's Tesla as 11 Air Fresheners Surface

Updated

Updated · NBC Los Angeles · Jul 23

LAPD Ties Celeste Rivas Hernandez's DNA to D4vd's Tesla as 11 Air Fresheners Surface

Q: What is the chilling link between D4vd's 'Celeste' tattoo and his victim's missing fingers?

Prosecutors say the link is that Burke had “Celeste” tattooed on his own left ring finger, while Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s left ring finger was allegedly cut off because it bore a tattoo of Burke’s name. In court, investigators testified Burke also had a “Shhh…” tattoo matching one found on Hernandez’s right index finger. Prosecutors argue those tattoos showed a personal connection between the two, and that the missing fingers were not random mutilation but an effort to erase evidence of that relationship. According to the prosecution, Hernandez’s left ring and pinky fingers were never recovered. They allege Burke amputated them to “distance himself from the victim,” specifically because the ring finger allegedly carried his name. That theory is part of the broader claim that he dismembered her body and tried to conceal identifying evidence after the killing. Burke has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations remain subject to the court’s review at the preliminary hearing.

Q: How did a celebrity's Tesla, containing a body, go unnoticed in a Hollywood tow yard for five months?

It appears the Tesla went unnoticed for months because the remains were concealed in the vehicle’s front trunk, the odor was masked, and the car likely entered the tow system as a routine impound rather than as evidence in a homicide case. Court testimony and reporting indicate Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered remains were placed in Burke’s Tesla frunk inside bags, including a partially unzipped cadaver bag and a black trash bag. Prosecutors say the vehicle also contained 11 air fresheners, suggesting an effort to suppress the smell of decomposition. Even so, when the body was finally found in September 2025, investigators described a strong decomposition odor, maggots, flies and fluid inside the vehicle, showing the body had been there a long time. The available record does not show that the Tesla was thoroughly searched when it first reached the Hollywood tow yard. That matters because tow yards are generally storage facilities, not forensic screening sites. If a car is towed for abandonment, parking, or another routine reason, staff typically do not open sealed compartments absent a clear reason. A police inventory search is not automatic in every tow scenario, especially if the vehicle was not initially linked to a violent crime. The result was a gap between impoundment and discovery: the car sat unclaimed, the body remained hidden in the frunk, and no early trigger appears to have prompted a deeper inspection until months later.

3 articles · Updated · NBC Los Angeles · Jul 23

Rivas Hernandez's DNA was found in blood swabbed from the lower rear trunk of a 2023 Tesla Model X registered to D4vd, LAPD criminalist Chelsea Murillo testified on the second day of his pretrial hearing.
Murillo said the SUV carried a strong decomposition odor and at least 11 air fresheners, while Bluestar testing lit up the trunk compartment, third-row seats and left-side paneling for hidden blood traces.
At Burke's rented Hollywood Hills home, investigator Lauren Wallace testified that seven cut black floor mats, a rowing machine, a Tesla charging plug, trash bags, tarps and a blue inflatable pool all tested positive for blood or blood indicators.
Prosecutors are using the forensic testimony to argue there is enough evidence to send singer David Burke, known as D4vd, to trial over the 2025 killing and mutilation of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Sources

NBC Los Angeles2h ago

LAPD Investigators Detail Blood Evidence in D4vd Murder Pretrial Hearing

The Guardian4h ago

Possible bloodstains were detected at D4vd's home, law enforcement testify | Los Angeles | The Guardian

FOX 11 Los Angeles1d ago

Preliminary hearing begins in D4vd murder trial

5 Sources

What is the chilling link between D4vd's 'Celeste' tattoo and his victim's missing fingers?

How did a celebrity's Tesla, containing a body, go unnoticed in a Hollywood tow yard for five months?

The D4vd Murder Case: Legal, Social, and Industry Fallout from the Death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez

Overview

As of July 22, 2026, hip-hop artist David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, is undergoing a multi-day preliminary hearing in Los Angeles, facing charges for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The case centers on the discovery of Celeste’s dismembered body in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard in September 2025. Presided over by Judge Charlaine Olmedo, the hearing aims to determine if there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to a full trial. The immediate future of the case depends on the judge’s decision following this critical hearing.

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