Dead girl was found in D4vd’s Tesla. Now, LAPD describes probe as ‘investigation into murder’ – Los Angeles Times

Investigation into Minor’s Death and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Case Overview: Celeste Rivas Hernandez

An investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been officially characterized as a murder investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The victim’s remains were discovered in the trunk of a vehicle registered to musician David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, at a Hollywood tow yard on September 8. The case presents significant challenges to public safety and judicial processes, directly engaging several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Alignment with SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The investigation and subsequent legal maneuvers highlight the complexities of achieving SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

• Target 16.1: Reduce Violence: The case is a stark example of lethal violence against a child, a critical issue that SDG 16 seeks to address. The efforts by the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division are a direct mechanism for holding perpetrators accountable and working toward justice for the victim.
• Target 16.3: Promote the Rule of Law and Ensure Equal Access to Justice: The ongoing investigation, including the search of properties and collection of evidence, represents the state’s duty to ensure the rule of law. The commitment from law enforcement that “accountability is coming” underscores the pursuit of justice for the victim.
• Target 16.6: Develop Effective, Accountable and Transparent Institutions: A conflict has emerged between law enforcement and the medical examiner’s office, illustrating the tension inherent in this target.
  1. The LAPD successfully petitioned the court to seal the autopsy findings, arguing that public release could compromise the investigation and endanger witnesses. This action prioritizes investigative integrity.
  2. The Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner expressed opposition to the security hold, advocating for transparency and noting the practice is uncommon and not proven to improve legal outcomes. This stance prioritizes institutional transparency.

Broader SDG Context: Protecting Vulnerable Populations

The circumstances surrounding the victim’s life and death intersect with additional SDGs focused on the well-being and safety of vulnerable individuals, particularly young girls.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

This case falls under the scope of SDG 5, specifically Target 5.2, which calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. The victim, a teenage girl who had previously been reported as a runaway, represents a highly vulnerable demographic susceptible to exploitation and violence.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The discovery of the victim’s body in a vehicle abandoned on a city street touches upon Target 11.7, which aims to provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces. The incident underscores the ongoing challenge of ensuring community safety and security within urban environments.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The victim’s history as a runaway, having been reported missing multiple times, points to systemic failures in child protection and welfare systems. Achieving SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, requires robust support structures to protect at-risk youth from harm and ensure their physical and mental well-being.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to crime, justice, and violence, which directly connect to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The main SDGs identified are:

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This is the most relevant SDG, as the entire article revolves around a murder investigation, the functioning of law enforcement (LAPD), the judicial system (court orders), and the role of other public institutions like the medical examiner’s office. It highlights the process of seeking justice for a victim of a violent crime.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The victim is a 14-year-old girl, Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The case represents an extreme form of violence against girls, which is a key concern of SDG 5. The goal aims to end all forms of violence and exploitation against women and girls.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the details provided in the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article is centered on the “gruesome discovery of a dead girl’s body” and the subsequent “investigation into murder.” The death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is a direct example of a violence-related death that this target aims to reduce.
   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The victim was a 14-year-old minor who had “run away from her Lake Elsinore home” and was living with an adult singer. Her violent death falls squarely under the scope of ending all forms of violence against children.
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The article details the actions of the justice system, including the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division’s investigation, the seeking of a court order to seal autopsy findings, and the stated goal that “accountability is coming” and detectives “are going to get justice for Celeste Rivas.”
   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. A significant portion of the article discusses the tension between the LAPD’s request for a “security hold” on the autopsy results and the medical examiner’s commitment to transparency. The Chief Medical Examiner’s statement that he has “worked on eradicating the practice of placing security holds” and is “dedicated to serving our community with full transparency” directly addresses the need for accountable and transparent public institutions.

2. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. The murder of a teenage girl is the most severe form of violence. The article describes a specific case that contributes to the statistics on violence against girls, which this target seeks to eliminate.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly mention SDG indicators, but it contains information and data points that serve as qualitative or quantitative examples for measuring progress.

1. Indicators for SDG 16

   • For Target 16.1: The article provides a specific data point for Indicator 16.1.1 (Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population, by sex and age). It identifies one female victim of intentional homicide, aged 14 (turning 15). The investigation being characterized as a “murder investigation” classifies the death as an intentional homicide.
   • For Target 16.2: The victim’s history as a runaway who was “reported her missing at least three times in 2024” is an implied indicator of child vulnerability and risk, relevant to measuring efforts to protect children from violence and exploitation.
   • For Target 16.3: The progress of the investigation itself is an implied indicator of access to justice. The actions described—the investigation by the “elite Robbery Homicide Division,” the search of the suspect’s home, and the public commitment by a Deputy Chief to “get justice”—are measures of the justice system’s response to violent crime.

2. Indicators for SDG 5

   • For Target 5.2: This specific case of the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez serves as a qualitative indicator for Indicator 5.2.1 (Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence) and Indicator 5.2.2 (Proportion of women and girls subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner). While the exact nature of the violence is not yet public, her death is a stark example of lethal violence against a girl, a key component measured by these indicators.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: latimes.com