Court orders seal on Celeste Rivas Hernandez case records

Records about the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 15-year-old girl whose body was found in singer D4vd’s Tesla, have been barred from public release, officials said.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said it received a court order imposing a security hold on the case, and that no details about Ms Rivas Hernandez’s death can be released or posted on its website.

The police department said it requested the order to ensure officers “receive information from the Medical Examiner before the public”.

Chief Medical Examiner Dr Odey Ukpo said the practice of security holds is “virtually unheard of in other counties” and “has not been proven to improve outcomes in the legal system”.

“We are dedicated to serving our community with full transparency; however, the law precludes us from doing so while the court order remains in this case,” Dr Ukpo added.

Police discovered Rivas Hernandez’s remains inside the boot of the impounded Tesla on 8 September, after responding to reports of a foul odour at a Hollywood tow yard.

Rivas Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore in California, had been missing and was last seen in April 2024, according to a missing person flyer cited by CBS, the BBC’s US news partner.

The car, registered to D4vd, had been towed from the Hollywood Hills neighbourhood five days after it had been abandoned.

D4vd, 20, whose real name David Anthony Burke, released his debut album in April and was on tour when the remains were discovered.

He has not commented on the case, but his representatives previously said he was cooperating with police.

A police spokesperson said the case was being investigated by its robbery-homicide division. No arrests have been made.