The body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, found stuffed inside a plastic bag in the trunk of a Tesla registered to R&B singer D4vd earlier this month, has been returned to her family.
Rivas’ dismembered and decomposing remains were discovered on Sept. 8, after employees at Hollywood Tow reported a foul odor coming from a recently impounded Tesla. The electric vehicle, which had Texas license plates, was towed to the lot some five days earlier, after it was reported abandoned in Hollywood Hills.
When officers arrived on the scene, located on the 1000 block of N. Mansfield Avenue, they discovered her bagged remains stashed inside the Tesla.
Rivas disappeared in April 2024 from her family’s home in Lake Elsinore, Calif., about 76 miles southeast of where the vehicle was abandoned. She was just 13 when she went missing, and her death is being investigated as a homicide.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on Tuesday confirmed Rivas’ remains have been released, which means her autopsy has been completed, KTLA reported. So far, her cause of death remains unclear.
According to a GoFundMe page, memorial services for Rivas are scheduled for October 5th.
“She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend,” the page reads. “Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss.”
D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, has not yet commented on the investigation, but a representative has previously said he was cooperating fully with law enforcement.
The singer, whose viral hits include “Romantic Homicide,” has canceled both his U.S. and European tours in the days since Rivas’ remains were found in his Tesla. The release of his new album has also been postponed indefinitely.
On Sept. 17, authorities investigating Rivas’ death spent 12 hours searching a Los Angeles home where D4vd had been staying, though it was reportedly being rented by his manager, Josh Marshall.
“Several items of evidence were recovered and will be analyzed by detectives in the coming days,” a representative for the LAPD told PEOPLE. “This is an ongoing investigation. Investigators are following up on several leads.”
