Singer d4vd Named Suspect in Death of 15-Year-Old Celeste Rivas Hernandez in Hollywood

When the stench from a parked car in Hollywood became too unbearable for neighbors to ignore, they called the police — and what they found turned a quiet residential street into the epicenter of a chilling mystery. On September 8, 2025, the dismembered, badly decomposed body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was pulled from a car trunk, wrapped in a plastic bag. Months later, on November 19, 2025, David "d4vd", a 20-year-old rising singer, was officially named a suspect in her death. No arrests have been made. And investigators still don’t know how she died.

The Discovery That Shook Hollywood

The car sat parked near a duplex on a tree-lined block in the heart of Hollywood, its windows tinted, doors locked. Residents said the smell — rotten, metallic, unmistakable — had been growing worse for days. One neighbor told police it reminded her of "meat left in a hot car for weeks." When officers finally opened the trunk, they found Celeste’s remains inside a heavy-duty trash bag. She had been dismembered. The decomposition was advanced. Her identity wasn’t immediately confirmed; it took days of forensic work and dental records to match her to a missing persons report filed in late 2024.

That report had come from family members who hadn’t heard from her since the spring. She was last seen walking home from school in the Echo Park neighborhood, about three miles from where her body was found. Her phone had gone silent. Her social media, once active with music playlists and selfies, went dark. No one knew she was gone — until the smell brought the world to her door.

Why d4vd? The Suspect and the Search

The LAPD’s investigation took a sharp turn when surveillance footage showed a man matching David "d4vd"’s description renting a car matching the one found with Celeste’s body — and returning it days after she vanished. Investigators also found that d4vd, whose real name is David Rodriguez, had been living in a rented house just blocks from the crime scene. On October 12, 2025, police executed a search warrant there. They seized a laptop, external hard drives, and several phones.

According to sources familiar with the case, the laptop contained encrypted files, deleted search histories, and what appeared to be audio recordings from May 2025 — the same month LAPD sources told KBC Celeste likely died. One file, labeled "C.R.H. - cleanup," was recovered but still locked. Forensic analysts are working to decrypt it.

Here’s the thing: d4vd hasn’t spoken to police. Not once. His legal team has declined all requests for comment from Entertainment Tonight and other outlets. And investigators believe he didn’t act alone. "We’re looking at at least two other individuals," one source told KBC. "The body was too heavy for one person to move, cut, and dispose of without help."

Why the Investigation Is Stalled

The decomposition has made the case exceptionally difficult. The medical examiner’s office has been unable to determine cause of death — no blunt force trauma, no gunshot residue, no signs of strangulation. Toxicology reports are pending, but even those may not answer the biggest question: Was she alive when dismembered? Or was she killed elsewhere and then moved?

"We haven’t been able to determine what happened, or even if she was killed," said an anonymous LAPD investigator quoted in Entertainment Tonight’s November 19 report. "The key to an arrest may come once authorities determine how Celeste died."

That uncertainty has fueled speculation. Some believe the dismemberment was meant to obscure identity. Others think it was ritualistic — a theory some forensic psychologists are cautiously exploring. The fact that Celeste was a teenager with no criminal record, and d4vd was a musician with over 12 million Spotify streams, makes the case feel surreal to many.

The Ripple Effect: Fame, Fear, and Silence

Celeste’s family has not spoken publicly. They’ve hired a private investigator and are working with the LAPD through a victim’s advocate. Neighbors say they saw d4vd walking his dog near the park the week before the body was found — calm, smiling, waving. "He seemed like a normal guy," said Maria Delgado, who lives across the street. "Now I don’t know who to believe."

His music, once upbeat and introspective, has been pulled from major streaming platforms. His Instagram account is gone. His record label, Interscope Records, issued a brief statement: "We are deeply saddened by these allegations and are cooperating fully with authorities."

The case has reignited conversations about the dark side of internet fame — how a teenager can vanish without a trace, while a young artist with millions of followers remains publicly invisible to the law. Celeste’s friends say she was a fan of d4vd’s music. "She used to play his songs when she was feeling down," said 16-year-old Lila Mendez, a classmate. "I never thought… I never imagined."

What Comes Next?

The LAPD has not released a timeline for when cause of death might be determined. But they’ve confirmed that forensic anthropologists are analyzing bone fragments to reconstruct the sequence of events. They’re also reviewing cell tower pings from Celeste’s phone in the weeks before she disappeared — and comparing them to d4vd’s movements.

Meanwhile, a grand jury is expected to convene in early December. If prosecutors can prove intent and link d4vd to the disposal of the body — even without knowing exactly how she died — charges could follow. The fact that he’s not cooperating could hurt him in court. Silence isn’t innocence. It’s often a strategy.

Background: The Rise of d4vd

David Rodriguez, known professionally as d4vd, began posting acoustic covers on TikTok in 2021. His haunting voice and minimalist production caught on. By 2023, he’d signed with Interscope. His debut EP, "Hollow," reached No. 12 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart. He toured with indie acts like Clairo and Phoebe Bridgers. He was described by peers as "quiet, intense, private."

He never mentioned Celeste in interviews. No social media posts. No public connection. But investigators believe they’ve found digital breadcrumbs — deleted DMs, location-tagged photos from May 2025, and a rental car receipt tied to his credit card that matches the vehicle used to transport the body.

It’s a case that haunts because it’s so ordinary — a teenager, a musician, a car, a smell. And because, in the end, the most terrifying question remains unanswered: What really happened to Celeste Rivas Hernandez?