Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s case scrubbed from medical examiner’s website

LOS ANGELES - As haunting new details emerge from sources close to the investigation of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 15-year-old whose remains were found in a Tesla registered to D4vd, the case has been removed from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s website.

Security Hold Placed on Medical Examiner's Case

What we know:

On Friday, Nov. 21, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner received a court order from the Los Angeles Police Department to place a security hold on the case. Therefore, no records or details, including the cause and manner of death, can be posted on the website until further notice.

"The department’s mission is to have full transparency with the community by providing information about our cases to empower people to make changes that save lives," said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo. "Since becoming the department head, I’ve worked on eradicating the practice of placing security holds on medical examiner cases simply by law enforcement request. 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."

A previous request for a security hold was denied in September.

On Monday, the LAPD said "the hold was placed to ensure LAPD detectives receive information from the Medical Examiner before the public." 

Disturbing New Details Released

Dig deeper:

TMZ recently reported the medical examiner may not be able to determine the teen’s cause of death because her remains were "partially frozen" when they were discovered in early September.

TMZ’s Harvey Levin and attorney Mark Geragos said in a recent episode of the "2 Angry Men" podcast that a second suspect has been identified in the case.

RELATED: Celeste Rivas case: Teen’s body reportedly found ‘partially frozen’ in D4vd's Tesla

D4vd's Mysterious Trip To Santa Barbara County

The two also allege D4vd took a trip to a remote part of Santa Barbara County in the spring, with Levin speculating this may have been where her body was dismembered.

"The LAPD, we’re told, has gained access to that data and clearly that video," Levin said. "I don’t think they took Celeste to Santa Barbara County and killed her, if that’s indeed what happened to Celeste. Whatever happened probably happened somewhere else, maybe in L.A., and the body was taken to Santa Barbara County and maybe the body was dismembered there. Now, what I can’t answer is how does it then end up in his trunk? And that’s what I can’t figure out," Levin said.

"I’m told it wasn’t just the trip itself, it was the confirmation of the social media," Geragos added.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez Identified As Person Found Dead in D4vd's Tesla

The backstory:

The Tesla registered to D4vd was towed after authorities said it was parked illegally in the affluent Bird Streets neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills. On Sept. 8, workers at a Hollywood tow yard detected a foul odor coming from the vehicle.

Rivas Hernandez was reported missing from Lake Elsinore on April 5, 2024, when she was 13.

TMZ reported D4vd has been identified as a suspect in the case, but that has not been confirmed by the LAPD. In addition, no arrests have been announced in the investigation. 

The other side:

While officials have said D4vd has been cooperative, a source told People that was not the case, and he has not been cooperating with investigators. 

The singer has yet to make a statement about the investigation and has since hired a top criminal defense attorney.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Celeste Rivas case: Singer D4vd reportedly viewed as a suspect in teen's death
• Celeste Rivas Hernandez case: Private investigator reveals date last photos of teen were taken
• Celeste Rivas case: Investigator says 'it's very clear' who parked D4vd's Tesla with teen's body inside