The LAPD has issued a rare public statement pushing back on what it says is “misinformation” and “false claims” circulating in media reports about the investigation into the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to singer D4vd.
On Tuesday, the LAPD’s robbery–homicide Division said new reporting had “contained inaccuracies”, directly challenging details published by TMZ over the weekend. The department also defended a controversial court order that placed the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s case file under temporary seal, insisting the move was not meant to limit transparency but to ensure detectives receive information before it becomes public.
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LAPD says rumours of freezing and decapitation are false
On Saturday, TMZ published claims from unnamed sources alleging Celeste’s body had been “partially frozen” and was in a condition so deteriorated the medical examiner may ultimately list her cause of death as “undetermined”. TMZ also suggested portions of the body were frozen at the time of discovery.
The LAPD flatly denied this in its new statement: “The body of Celeste Rivas was not frozen when it was discovered on September 8, 2025.”
The department also said reports claiming Celeste had been decapitated were untrue.
TMZ and the medical examiner have responded
On Monday, the Los Angeles County Chief medical examiner criticised the LAPD’s security hold, saying he remains committed to “full transparency”. TMZ has since reported that a source “connected to the Medical Examiner” stands by claims the body was partially frozen, directly contradicting the LAPD’s statement.
TMZ pointed to an internal document noting Celeste was not fingerprinted because her fingers were “waterlogged”, saying the detail raises questions about the state of the body. Neither the LAPD nor the Medical Examiner has publicly addressed that discrepancy.
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The LAPD did confirm one detail circulating in media reports: That D4vd travelled to the Santa Barbara area earlier this year. TMZ has suggested he visited a remote area for several hours and may have been accompanied by another person. Police declined to provide specifics, saying only that the trip is still under investigation and its relevance remains unclear.
Police say no arrests have been made and have repeatedly emphasised that, until the medical examiner determines the cause of death, “it remains unclear whether there is any criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body”.
The LAPD acknowledged longstanding tension between its department and the Medical Examiner’s Office, which TMZ has also reported on.
D4vd has not commented publicly, but his manager previously said he is co-operating with the police.
The Tab has reached out to both the LAPD and the medical examiner for comment.
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Featured image credit: Instagram/@d4vddd, Riverside County Sheriff
