Dismembered Teen's Death Cause Disclosed in Tesla

Celeste Rivas Hernandez died from multiple penetrating injuries, and Los Angeles County’s medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide. (me.lacounty.gov) The county said Celeste, 15, was found at 11 a.m. on Sept. 8, 2025, in the front trunk of a vehicle at a Los Angeles tow yard. The cause and manner of death were determined on Dec. 9, 2025, but a court order requested by the Los Angeles Police Department blocked public release until April 22, 2026. (me.lacounty.gov) The newly released report says the fatal injuries were caused by an object or objects. ABC7, citing the report, said examiners documented one wound to the right abdomen with liver injury and a second wound to the left chest. (abc7.com) The disclosure lands three days after Los Angeles County prosecutors charged singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, with first-degree murder in Celeste’s death. Prosecutors also filed charges of lewd acts with a child under 14 and mutilation of human remains. (da.lacounty.gov) (cbsnews.com) The criminal complaint alleges Celeste arrived at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, and was never seen again. The District Attorney’s Office said the complaint includes special-circumstance allegations of murder of a witness, murder for financial gain and lying in wait. (da.lacounty.gov 1) (da.lacounty.gov 2) The case drew attention in September 2025 when tow-yard workers reported a strong odor from an impounded Tesla registered to Burke. NBC Los Angeles reported that officers found decomposed remains in bags inside the vehicle’s front storage compartment after the car had been left for weeks in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood. (nbclosangeles.com 1) (nbclosangeles.com 2) Celeste had been missing since April 5, 2024, from Lake Elsinore, where she was 13 when she disappeared, according to NBC Los Angeles’ timeline. Her family said through an attorney on April 22 that they were “absolutely devastated” by the medical examiner’s findings and would not attend Burke’s next hearing. (nbclosangeles.com) (nbclosangeles.com) Burke has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations that prosecutors must prove in court. As of Thursday, April 23, a judge was set to decide whether the case would move forward toward trial, with the autopsy findings now public after seven months of secrecy. (nbclosangeles.com) (me.lacounty.gov)