The Tragic Timeline Of Celeste Rivas: From Missing Teen To High-Profile Death Investigation

The question of "when did Celeste Rivas go missing" is no longer the central focus of this tragic case, but rather the starting point of a complex and high-profile death investigation that continues to unfold in late 2025. The initial date of her disappearance was a crucial moment for her family and the community, but the subsequent discovery of her body has shifted the entire narrative to one of criminal justice and accountability. The latest updates, as of December 18, 2025, point to a grand jury investigation with uncooperative witnesses, keeping the case in the national spotlight.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a vibrant young girl from Lake Elsinore, California, was first reported missing on April 5, 2024. What began as a search for a runaway teenager quickly escalated over a period of seventeen months into one of the most unsettling and widely discussed cases of the year, involving a major pop singer, a decomposed body, and a web of unanswered questions that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is still trying to untangle. This article lays out the definitive timeline and current status of the investigation.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez: A Biographical Profile

Before the headlines, Celeste Rivas Hernandez was a typical American middle schooler whose life was tragically cut short. Understanding who she was provides necessary context to the events that followed her disappearance.

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• Full Name: Celeste Rivas Hernandez
• Date of Birth: July 9, 2010
• Hometown: Lake Elsinore, California
• Age at Disappearance: 13 years old
• Age at Death/Discovery: 15 years old
• School: Attended Lakeland Middle School
• Personal Life: Described by her family as a lively teenager. She was known to love the character Hello Kitty and was reportedly dating a person named David, who was later identified as the singer D4vd (David Anthony Burke), prior to her disappearance.
• Prior Incidents: The Riverside County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Celeste had been reported missing multiple times in 2024 before her final, fatal disappearance.

The Definitive Timeline: April 2024 to September 2025

The timeline of Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s case spans nearly a year and a half, marked by periods of desperate searching, media silence, and a final, shocking discovery.

April 5, 2024: The Initial Disappearance

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was officially reported missing from her home in Lake Elsinore, California. She was 13 years old at the time and was considered a runaway, a classification that some critics argue may have initially hampered the intensity of the search efforts. Lake Elsinore is located approximately 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

April 2024 – August 2025: A Search for Answers

For months, the case remained a missing persons investigation. Her family and local law enforcement continued to search, but new leads were scarce. During this time, Celeste celebrated her 14th and 15th birthdays while still missing, though some reports suggest she may have turned 15 shortly before her body was found. The prolonged period without contact fueled the family’s fears that her disappearance was not voluntary.

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September 8, 2025: The Shocking Discovery

The case took a drastic and horrifying turn on September 8, 2025. Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s decomposed body was discovered in the trunk of an impounded vehicle in Los Angeles. The vehicle was a Tesla registered to the popular pop and R&B singer D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke. The discovery was made after the car had been towed and was being processed by authorities.

The Death Investigation and Current Status (Late 2025)

The discovery instantly transformed the case from a missing persons file into a high-profile homicide investigation, drawing intense media scrutiny to the celebrity involved, D4vd, and the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death.

D4vd Becomes a Suspect

Following the discovery, David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, was identified by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as a suspect in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Reports indicated that Celeste and the singer had a relationship prior to her disappearance, and her mother had previously claimed Celeste told her she had a boyfriend named David. The singer's lack of cooperation with law enforcement has been a key factor in the ongoing probe.

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The Grand Jury and Uncooperative Witnesses

As of late 2025, the investigation has moved into the grand jury phase, a process used to determine if there is enough evidence to issue an indictment. This phase has been marked by significant legal drama. Recent news reports highlight that a witness connected to D4vd, reportedly his manager or an associate, has been uncooperative.

This uncooperative witness was set to be arrested and compelled to testify, signaling the authorities' determination to move the case forward and potentially secure critical testimony. The legal maneuver underscores the complexity of the investigation and the challenges facing the prosecution in gathering evidence against a high-profile figure.

Cause of Death and Remaining Questions

The official cause of death for Celeste Rivas Hernandez has not been widely publicized, though the decomposed state of the body suggests she had been deceased for a significant period before the September discovery. The key questions that investigators are working to answer include:

• What was the exact cause and manner of Celeste's death?
• How did her body end up in the trunk of D4vd's Tesla?
• What was the nature of the relationship between Celeste Rivas and David Anthony Burke (D4vd)?
• Who, if anyone, assisted in concealing the body or obstructing the investigation?

The case remains active and highly volatile. The pursuit of testimony from uncooperative witnesses indicates that the LAPD and prosecutors are closing in on potential arrests, though D4vd himself had not been formally charged as of the most recent updates. The public and Celeste's family await justice for the lively teenager whose search began on April 5, 2024, and ended with a heartbreaking discovery over a year later.