On Thursday, Los Angeles police arrested alt-pop newcomer D4vd. Homicide detectives arrested Houston-born musician David Anthony Burke, 21, suspecting him of murder. This case focuses on the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Authorities say he’s being held without bail right now.
The Discovery That Shocked Los Angeles
On September 8, 2025, officers responded to Hollywood Tow after staff reported a foul odor coming from a vehicle. Inside, investigators made a horrifying find. They discovered Celeste’s severely decomposed, dismembered body in the front trunk of D4vd’s abandoned, impounded Tesla. Additionally, a black cadaver bag held a decomposed head and torso. A second bag contained dismembered body parts. Moreover, an autopsy revealed that Rivas appeared to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period before discovery.
The grim scene led to a quick homicide investigation. Police spotted the abandoned Tesla on a Hollywood street, then it sat in the impound lot for two days. Burke’s name was on the towed car’s registration.
The Victim: Celeste Rivas Hernandez
In 2024, Celeste, just 13 and in seventh grade, was reported missing by her family from Lake Elsinore, roughly 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Devastatingly, police discovered her body on September 8, just a day after what would have been her 15th birthday. In addition, sources told ABC News that the girl’s body had been dismembered, and the process likely involved more than one person. At police request, the medical examiner kept her cause and manner of death details under security control for now.
Months of Secret Investigation
A Los Angeles County grand jury was investigating the singer in connection with Rivas Hernandez’s death. The probe stayed officially classified. On February 25, D4vd’s mother, father, and brother objected in a Texas court to subpoenas that demanded testimony, and they also made clear that D4vd was the intended target. Later, a judge in Texas told the family to travel to California and testify. Additionally, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed papers in Texas, claiming D4vd might have been involved in Celeste’s death and that she “may have been a victim of foul play.”
While detectives worked quietly in the background. Williams from the LAPD told NBC News, “After we had enough evidence to arrest him for murder, we stayed on him closely.” Police then took D4vd into custody at 5 p.m. Thursday and processed him later that night at the LAPD’s 77th Street Station.
D4vd’s Lawyers Declare Innocence
Despite the arrest, his defense team pushed back forcefully. Defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter stated clearly: “The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death.” Additionally, D4vd’s parents said through attorneys that they “stand behind their son 100%” and believe in his innocence.
Los Angeles police said investigators will bring the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday to decide whether to file charges. So, formal charges could come early next week. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division confirmed it will review the case.
A Career Derailed
D4vd blew up on TikTok first, where he now has almost 4 million followers. But once the case came out, his career fell apart fast. Police found the body while D4vd was still on tour, pushing his debut album, Withered. After that, his final two North American dates, San Francisco and Los Angeles, were called off, along with a planned stop at the Grammy Museum in LA., and his full European tour.
No formal charges have been filed so far. But now the case is quickly heading toward a major decision by prosecutors on Monday.
“Sources: ABC News, NBC News, CBC News, Al Jazeera, Associated Press”
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