Celeste Rivas case: LAPD Chief stays mum on D4vd's alleged role in teen's death investigation
LAPD declines to comment on Celeste Rivas investigation
During his appearance on Good Day LA Wednesday, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell explained why the department hasn't publicly released new details about the case.
LOS ANGELES - What happened to Celeste Rivas Hernandez?
The investigation continues months after the 14-year-old’s remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd at a tow yard in Hollywood.
No arrests have been made, and authorities have not confirmed if D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, has been identified as a suspect.
Late last month, the Los Angeles Times reported that a grand jury will hear evidence related to the case. On Tuesday, a music executive reportedly testified, saying he didn’t feel it was his job to contact officials.
Is D4vd a Suspect?
On Wednesday, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell appeared on Good Day LA and declined to discuss details of the case, saying that doing so would jeopardize the investigation. When asked if D4vd is a suspect, McDonnell did not offer a response and explained the need to keep details of the case confidential for now.
"That’s a case I won’t talk about at this time because it’s an ongoing case. To do so would potentially jeopardize the case. There was some talk too about our request to keep the information confidential that the coroner was looking to release, and our goal there is not to impede transparency," he said.
Last month, the case was scrubbed from the medical examiner’s website after the LAPD placed a security hold on the case. The hold prevents records and details, including the cause and manner of death, from being publicly released until further notice.
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"All of this will come out eventually anyway," Chief McDonnell concluded.
D4vd’s Tour Manager Testifies Before Grand Jury
On Tuesday, TMZ reported that Robert Morgenroth, the general manager of D4vd’s record label Mogul Vision and the president of D4vd’s tour company, Zara Brothers Travel, was grilled by a grand jury. Witnesses said Morgenroth walked out of the courtroom talking about his experience on the stand.
"Mr. Morgenroth, when he walked out of the grand jury, was in the hallway in downtown Los Angeles at the courthouse, a very open hallway where there were, from what we're told, about a dozen other people in the hallway, and he was speaking to his attorney, speaking loudly enough that others in the area could hear," explained TMZ’s Charles Latibeaudiere.
He continued, "And what he told his attorney is that she, referring to the deputy DA who was doing the questioning, she was grilling me about why I didn't call the police. Now, we don't know what he had said before that to the grand jury that led to that follow-up question of why he didn't call the police. What he told his attorney is that he said his answer was I didn't feel like that was my responsibility to do that, and I just wanted to continue the tour."
D4vd’s remaining tour dates in the U.S. and Europe were canceled after Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered.
Friends reportedly weren't aware of Rivas Hernandez's age and said they were under the impression she was a 19-year-old student at the University of Southern California.
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The circumstances of the relationship between D4vd and Rivas Hernandez have not been confirmed by officials.
The other side:
After his tour was canceled, D4vd has remained silent on his social media channels and hasn’t commented on the case, even through his legal team. In early October, FOX 11 learned the singer had hired high-profile criminal defense attorney Blair Berk. Investigators said he has been cooperative.
Amid the investigation, he has since moved out of the Hollywood Hills rental, located near where his Tesla was towed, and has reportedly transferred ownership of his Texas homes to his mother.
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The backstory:
After being parked illegally in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood, D4vd’s Tesla was impounded and taken to a tow yard in Hollywood. That’s where employees reported a foul odor coming from the vehicle on Sept. 8. When LAPD officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered body.
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The teen had been reported missing in Lake Elsinore, roughly 75 miles from the Hollywood Hills, since April 5, 2024. Her ex-boyfriend, Damien Hernandez, told TMZ that she had a "troubled home life."
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The Source: This article is based on information from credible sources, including reports from the Los Angeles Times and TMZ, statements from Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell, and courtroom observations. Additional details were gathered from official LAPD communications and public records related to the ongoing investigation.