D4vd Arrested for Murder After Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, Found Dead in His Tesla
The months-long investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has resulted in D4vd's arrest on suspicion of murder.
The singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was taken into custody at 4:30 p.m. April 16, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, and is being held without bail. He has not yet been charged and the case is due to be presented to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office for filing consideration on April 20.
"Let us be clear," D4vd's attorneys said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, "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."
Rivas' body was found Sept. 8 in the trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd's Texas address, according to police, who said that the vehicle had been towed to an impound lot after being abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.
Cause of death was subsequently deferred, according to a Medical Examiner's report reviewed by E! News. It was noted that, due to the body being "severely decomposed," authorities were unable to determine exactly when Rivas Hernandez died, but LAPD Capt. Scot Williams said following D4vd's arrest that she was "dead for at least several weeks" before police made their grim discovery at Hollywood Tow.
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Rivas Hernandez was 13 when her family reported her missing from their Lake Elsinore, Calif., home April 5, 2024, and her remains were found the day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
She was laid to rest Oct. 6 at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery and Mortuary in Rowland Heights.
After her body was identified Sept. 16, a rep for D4vd told NBC News that the singer had been informed of what was happening and was "fully cooperating with the authorities."
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At the time, the "Romantic Homicide" artist, who gained a following through SoundCloud and uploading gaming montages to Fortnite, had been on his Withered World Tour, but he canceled the remaining dates several days later.
In a court petition for the attendance of an out-of-state witness obtained by E! News in February, D4vd was referred to as a "target" of a grand jury case. Prosecutors wrote in the filing that he "may be involved in having committed the following criminal offenses against the laws of the State of California, to wit: One count of murder."
Here's what to know about D4vd and the investigation into Celeste Rivas Hernandez's death:
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Where is D4vd From?
Born in Queens, New York, D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) moved to Houston, Texas, when he was 13 years old.
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How Did D4vd Become Famous?
D4vd first began his career as a streamer, playing Fortnite and other games in an attempt to go viral on YouTube. When he ran into copyright infringement challenges with the music he was adding to his videos in 2021, he turned to his mom.
“I'm like crying to Mom about it,” he told Benny Blanco during an interview for Hero magazine in September 2024. “I'm like, Yo, I don't know what to do I'm not making any money anymore, blah blah blah.’ And she was on a phone, and she was like, ‘Just make your own music, go get out of my face.’ And I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I could probably do that.'"
From there, despite not having any musical experience other than singing for fun, D4vd downloaded an app on his phone and started making music. Soon, some of his songs went viral, and after more of his original music started to go viral on TikTok, his career began to really take off.
The 20-year-old eventually released his debut album, Withered, in April 2025, embarking on his first world tour shortly thereafter.
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When Was the Body Found in D4vd’s Car?
On Sept. 8, the Los Angeles Police Department was called to a tow yard in Hollywood over reports of a foul odor coming from a vehicle, law enforcement sources told NBC News.
The LAPD found human remains wrapped in a bag hidden in the front trunk of a Tesla, which was registered in Hempstead, Texas, under D4vd’s real name, David Anthony Burke.
Police said the vehicle had been towed to the impound lot after it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.
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Who Was the Victim Found in D4vd’s Car?
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office September 16 said the remains found in the Tesla were identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing on April 5, 2024. She was 13 years old at the time of her disappearance and officials believe she died when she was 14.
Her manner of death was announced in April 2026 as homicide, while her cause of death was determined to be “multiple penetrating injuries” to her chest and abdomen, including an injury to her liver, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's report obtained by E! News. Though her death was officially pronounced September 8—the day her body was discovered—officials noted her body appeared to have been in the car for an extended period of time before its discovery and was “severely decomposed.”
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What Has D4vd Said About the Investigation?
Following the discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s body, a spokesperson for D4vd said in a statement to NBC News that the singer "has been informed about what’s happened, and although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities."
Since then, D4vd canceled the remainder of his U.S. dates.
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What Happened in the Case?
D4vd was arrested for Rivas Hernandez's murder, the Los Angeles Police Department announced April 16, 2026.
“Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas," the public information officer stated on X. "Burke is being held without bail.”
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What Was D4vd Charged With?
D4vd was charged with one count of murder, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and one count of unlawful mutilation of human remains, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed in an April 20 press release.
“Celeste was just a child, under 14 years old, when David Burke allegedly engaged in repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations with her,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “But Burke’s actions did not allegedly stop there. When she threatened to expose his criminal conduct and devastate his musical career, Burke allegedly murdered her, cut up her body and stuffed her body in two bags that were placed in the front trunk of his car. There the dismembered body sat for over four months decomposing until it was found at a tow yard on Sept. 8, 2025. This horrific and gruesome murder committed by the charged sexual predator is shocking and appalling. To Celeste’s loved ones, we will get the justice you seek and deserve.”
The criminal complaint against D4vd also “includes special circumstance allegations of murder of a witness, murder for financial gain and lying in wait.” Additionally, there is a “special allegation” that he “personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a sharp instrument, to commit the crime.”
D4vd's attorney's denied he was the cause of her death, telling E! News in an April 20 statement, "We will vigorously defend David’s innocence."
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