Los Angeles police arrested singer D4vd on April 16, 2026, on suspicion of murder in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found inside his Tesla seven months ago. The 21-year-old musician, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is being held without bail as prosecutors prepare to review the case.
The arrest marks the first major development since September 2025, when a tow yard worker discovered the teen’s severely decomposed remains in the front trunk of Burke’s vehicle. The car had been left abandoned on a street in the Hollywood Hills and was towed after residents complained. Court documents later revealed that the girl’s arms and legs had been severed from her body and placed in separate bags.
Lawyers Issue Strong Denial After Singer’s Arrest
Following the arrest, Burke’s defense team quickly released a statement defending their client. Attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter made it clear they plan to fight the allegations.
“Let us be clear — 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.”
The lawyers also pointed out that no formal charges have been filed yet. “There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence,” the statement added.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that homicide detectives made the arrest Thursday afternoon. The case will go to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on April 20, 2026. The Major Crimes Division will then decide if there is enough evidence to file formal charges.
How The Body Was Discovered Inside The Tesla
The investigation became public in September 2025 after a disturbing discovery. A Tesla registered to Burke was towed from a street near his rented Hollywood Hills home on August 27, 2025, after receiving a parking ticket. On September 8, 2025, workers at Hollywood Tow noticed a foul smell coming from the vehicle and called police.
When officers opened the front storage compartment, they found a black cadaver bag “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay.” Inside, they saw a decomposed head and torso. After removing the bag, investigators discovered the arms and legs had been cut off and placed in a second black bag underneath.
The victim was identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl from Lake Elsinore, California, about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Her family had reported her missing in April 2024. Officials believe she died before her 15th birthday, which would have been on September 7, 2025.
The Connection Between D4vd And The Teenage Victim
Court documents and family statements have revealed that Rivas Hernandez knew the singer. Her brother told NBC Los Angeles that she was on her way to watch a movie with Burke right before she disappeared in 2024. Photos of the two together surfaced online after her body was found.
The teen’s mother told investigators that her daughter had mentioned having a boyfriend named David. Rivas Hernandez was a first-generation daughter of parents from El Salvador. Neighbors in Lake Elsinore described her as a regular visitor to the corner store who bought candy and soda almost every day.
She had run away from home several times before. In May 2024, she reportedly called her family but was not heard from again after that. A tattoo on her finger that read “Shhh…” matched a nearly identical tattoo on Burke’s own index finger.
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Who Is D4vd And How His Career Came To A Halt
Before his arrest, D4vd was a rising star in the music world. Born in Houston, Texas, he first gained attention as a teenager posting Fortnite gaming videos online. He taught himself music production and released his first EP, Petals To Thorns, in 2023.
His songs Here With Me and Romantic Homicide became hits, earning him millions of listeners. At his peak, he had 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify and nearly 4 million followers on TikTok. He opened for SZA on her SOS tour and was named to Variety’s Young Hollywood list in 2023. Fortnite even hired him to create the game’s first official anthem, Locked & Loaded.
His debut album Withered came out in April 2025. But everything changed after September 2025. He canceled his world tour and stepped away from public view. Marketing deals with Hollister and Crocs were dropped. Police raided the Hollywood Hills mansion where he had been living, just blocks from where his Tesla was towed.
Grand Jury Investigation And What Comes Next
Burke had been under investigation by a Los Angeles County grand jury since November 2025. Court filings from February 2026 showed he was officially listed as a “target” of the probe, with possible proceedings for one count of murder.
The grand jury investigation was kept secret, but details emerged when Burke’s family fought subpoenas demanding they testify. His father, mother, and brother filed objections in a Texas court in February 2026, arguing their due process rights were being violated. However, a Texas appeals court denied their petitions and required them to comply with the subpoenas.
No cause of death has been publicly announced. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office deferred making a ruling pending the death investigation. A judge ordered the teen’s death records sealed in November 2025 to keep information private until officers finished their work.
The LAPD has not shared what specific evidence led them to arrest Burke on Thursday. He remains in jail without bail. The District Attorney’s Office now has until Monday to review the case and decide whether to file charges.
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