Follow the search for Celeste Rivas Hernandez

The search for Celeste Rivas Hernandez began with repeated missing-person reports in Riverside County and later shifted to a homicide investigation centered on a single impounded Tesla. Her case drew sustained attention because the timeline spanned multiple agencies, digital records, and court proceedings that remain active in 2026.

Early missing reports

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing three times in 2024. Riverside County deputies took the calls on February 15, March 19, and April 5. Each time she returned home, but the pattern prompted welfare checks and contact with people connected to her phone records.

One welfare visit occurred at a West Hollywood residence linked to musician David Anthony Burke. Investigators noted the contact yet had no cause for further action once the girl was located. The repeated filings created an early paper trail that later guided detectives back to the same address.

Neighbors later told reporters they saw Celeste Rivas Hernandez in the area after the April 2024 report. Those sightings became part of the timeline investigators revisited once her remains surfaced more than a year later.

Vehicle surfaces in Hollywood

On September 8, 2025, workers at a Hollywood tow yard opened the front trunk of an impounded Tesla Model X. Inside they found decomposed human remains later identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The car was registered to Burke, who had not retrieved it after a parking citation.

LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division took the lead. Medical examiners confirmed the identity on September 16 and removed the case from public view while forensic work continued. The discovery shifted the matter from missing-person status to an active death investigation.

Search warrants followed within days. On September 17 officers searched a Hollywood Hills property tied to Burke and seized electronic devices. Reports later mentioned a burn cage found on the premises, though its role remained under review.

Digital records examined

Phone data placed Burke in contact with Celeste Rivas Hernandez as early as November 2023. Prosecutors later alleged the relationship began when she was thirteen. Records also showed an Uber arranged on April 23, 2025, to bring her to his residence.

Investigators recovered messages, location history, and cloud storage. Court documents cited forty terabytes of material and referenced child pornography recovered from an iCloud account. These files shaped the charging decisions that followed.

Subpoenas reached associates, including friend Neo Langston. One was arrested for failing to appear before the grand jury. The digital trail supplied dates and locations that aligned with physical evidence recovered from the Tesla.

Medical examiner findings

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by multiple penetrating injuries. The determination was reached in December 2025 and released publicly in April 2026. Prosecutors alleged mutilation occurred around May 5, 2025.

An updated death certificate noted uncertainty regarding pregnancy. The certificate also recorded the manner of death as homicide. Family members issued a statement asking for privacy while the legal process moved forward.

Autopsy details remained limited. Prosecutors referenced dismemberment and concealment inside the vehicle. Those elements formed part of the special-circumstance allegations filed with the murder count.

Suspect status announced

Burke was named a suspect in November 2025. The announcement followed months of forensic review and grand-jury testimony. Private investigator Steve Fischer posted public calls for associates to provide complete timelines during this period.

Search warrants and device seizures continued. Reports indicated investigators examined travel between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara County in spring 2025. The trips overlapped with the window when Celeste Rivas Hernandez was last seen alive.

Media coverage increased after the suspect designation. Local outlets reported on the Tesla discovery and the volume of digital evidence. National outlets picked up the story once charges were formally filed.

Arrest and charges

Burke was arrested on April 16, 2026. Four days later prosecutors filed first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under fourteen, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Special circumstances included murder of a witness and murder for financial gain.

Blair Berk was retained as defense counsel. Burke entered a not-guilty plea. The preliminary hearing was later set for July 21, 2026, giving both sides time to review the evidence collected over the preceding year.

The charging documents outlined a sequence that began with the 2023 contact and ended with the body’s concealment. Prosecutors stated the Uber on April 23, 2025, was the final known movement before death.

Leaks and records access

After identification, the case was removed from the medical examiner’s public site. Reports later surfaced that county employees had accessed files without authorization. An internal review examined how those accesses occurred.

The family’s attorney requested privacy protections. A civil suit against the LAPD for records access was considered but not filed by mid-2026. Those developments underscored ongoing concerns about information control during the investigation.

Local coverage noted that similar access issues had appeared in other high-profile cases. The focus remained on preserving evidence integrity ahead of the scheduled hearing.

Family and community response

Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s parents released statements emphasizing their desire for justice. They described her as a student at Lakeland Village School who enjoyed Hello Kitty items. The family asked that coverage respect their privacy during proceedings.

Community members in Lake Elsinore recalled the repeated missing reports and the limited public updates that followed. Some expressed frustration that earlier contacts with Burke had not produced further action at the time.

Advocacy groups monitoring the case highlighted the pattern of repeated missing reports involving minors. They pointed to the 2024 filings as examples of how initial contacts can shape later investigative direction once remains are located.

Next steps in court

The July 21, 2026, preliminary hearing will determine whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial. Both sides are expected to present forensic summaries and digital timelines compiled since the body’s discovery.

Additional motions may address the volume of seized material and the scope of special-circumstance allegations. Prosecutors have indicated they will rely on phone records, vehicle data, and physical evidence recovered from the Tesla.

Whatever the outcome, the case continues to track through standard California procedures. Celeste Rivas Hernandez remains the central figure whose repeated missing reports initiated the multi-agency process now moving toward resolution.

Case status summary

The investigation into Celeste Rivas Hernandez progressed from three missing-person reports in 2024 to a homicide case built on vehicle forensics, digital records, and medical-examiner findings. Charges filed in April 2026 set the stage for the July hearing that will shape the next phase of proceedings.