Celeste Rivas Hernandez: From Disappearance to Court
The case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez has moved from repeated missing-person reports to a murder trial centered on a rising musician. The sequence of events spans three years and now sits in Los Angeles courtrooms, where formal charges have been filed and a preliminary hearing is scheduled. Readers searching for updates want clear facts on what happened and where the legal process stands today.
Early missing reports
Parents contacted the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department on February 15, March 19, and April 5, 2024. Celeste Rivas Hernandez was thirteen and attending seventh grade in Lake Elsinore. Officers logged each report and returned her home after each disappearance.
Her family took away her phone after one return, hoping to limit contact with people outside the household. The pattern of leaving and coming back continued through spring 2024. No charges resulted from those early incidents.
By September 2024 Celeste Rivas Hernandez had turned fourteen. The family still lived in the same Riverside County home, and local police had no active case file on her at that point.
Shift in 2025
Prosecutors later alleged that Celeste Rivas Hernandez began a relationship with David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, when she was thirteen and he was eighteen. The relationship allegedly continued for roughly two years. Court documents place the final weeks of her life in the spring of 2025.
Investigators say she arrived by Uber at Burke’s Hollywood Hills residence on or around April 23, 2025. Prosecutors describe the killing as the result of multiple stab wounds. They also allege that the body was dismembered afterward.
Some items belonging to Celeste Rivas Hernandez were reportedly discarded in Santa Barbara County. The death certificate later noted uncertainty about whether she had been pregnant. These details emerged only after her remains were identified.
Discovery in Hollywood
On September 8, 2025, workers at a Hollywood tow yard opened the front trunk of an impounded Tesla Model X. The vehicle was registered to Burke. Inside they found the remains of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The car had been sitting in the yard for several weeks.
Los Angeles police confirmed the body had not been frozen or decapitated, correcting early online speculation. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide. The discovery shifted the case from a missing-person matter into an active murder investigation.
Detectives traced the Tesla’s movements and interviewed people connected to both Celeste Rivas Hernandez and Burke. Evidence collection continued through the fall of 2025 and into early 2026.
Arrest and charges
Burke was taken into custody on April 16, 2026. Four days later he was formally charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under fourteen, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He pleaded not guilty at his first court appearance.
Prosecutors stated they would seek the death penalty. The complaint described the relationship between Celeste Rivas Hernandez and Burke as having begun when she was thirteen. Additional counts covered alleged lewd acts with a person under fourteen.
Bail was denied. Burke appeared in an orange jumpsuit at a follow-up hearing on April 23, 2026. The case was assigned to a downtown Los Angeles courtroom that handles high-profile felony matters.
Family presence in court
Members of Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family attended the April 2026 arraignment. They had prepared a statement but chose not to read it after the hearing was shortened. Their presence marked the first public appearance by relatives since the charges were announced.
Family members have declined most media requests. Local outlets reported that they continue to receive updates through the district attorney’s victim services office. No civil lawsuit has been filed as of the latest court filings.
The family’s restraint has kept attention on the criminal proceedings rather than public commentary. Courtroom observers noted they sat together in the gallery without speaking to reporters.
Preliminary hearing timeline
A status conference is set for July 7, 2026. The preliminary hearing, expected to last about five days, was moved to July 21. Defense attorneys have indicated they will challenge the sufficiency of the evidence at that stage.
Prosecutors must show probable cause for each count. If the judge binds the case over for trial, a new date will be set for motions and jury selection. The process could stretch into 2027 depending on motions and discovery disputes.
Both sides have requested additional time to review forensic reports and phone records. The court has granted limited continuances while keeping the case on an expedited track.
Evidence under review
Investigators collected DNA samples from the Tesla and from Burke’s residence. They also obtained cell-site location data and ride-share records tied to the night prosecutors say the killing occurred. The defense has asked for independent testing of several items.
Autopsy photographs and clothing recovered with the body remain under seal. Prosecutors have stated they will rely on both physical evidence and witness statements about the alleged relationship. No trial exhibits have been released to the public.
Discovery is ongoing. Attorneys for both sides expect hundreds of pages of reports and multiple expert witnesses before the preliminary hearing concludes.
Media coverage patterns
National outlets including The New York Times and Variety reported the charges within hours of the April 20 filing. Local stations ABC7, NBC Los Angeles, and FOX LA have maintained daily updates on hearing dates. Social media discussion has centered on the age difference and the music industry connection.
Early online speculation about the condition of the remains was corrected by LAPD statements. Coverage has since stayed focused on court filings rather than unverified claims. Most major outlets now quote only documents and official statements.
Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter have examined how the case affects Burke’s scheduled appearances and label obligations. No new music releases have been announced since the arrest.
Next procedural steps
If the preliminary hearing results in a trial order, the case will move into the pretrial phase. That stage typically includes motions to suppress evidence and requests for change of venue. Both sides have signaled they expect lengthy litigation.
Victim impact statements will be scheduled only after a verdict or plea. The district attorney’s office has not indicated whether additional charges will be filed against other individuals.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez remains the central figure in every filing. Her name appears on every docket entry from the initial missing-person reports through the current murder case.
Case status moving forward
The legal process now rests on the July 2026 preliminary hearing and whatever evidence surfaces before then. Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s case has already produced formal charges and scheduled court dates that will determine whether the matter proceeds to trial. Observers will watch those proceedings for any new details on the timeline that began with the 2024 missing reports.
