U.S. artist D4vd has been taken into custody under suspicion of being involved in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose decomposed remains were discovered last year in a seemingly deserted Tesla registered under his name, which was removed from the Hollywood Hills area, as confirmed by the police on Thursday. Meanwhile, his legal team has asserted his innocence.
The Los Angeles police department briefly stated that the 21-year-old alt-pop singer, born in Houston and legally known as David Anthony Burke, is being detained without the option for bail. They mentioned that they will be presenting the case to the District Attorney’s Office for potential charges on Monday.
In response to the allegations, defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter communicated via email that the evidence will demonstrate that David Burke did not commit the crime in question and was not responsible for the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The police are set to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which, in its own statement, acknowledged the arrest and mentioned that its major crimes division will assess the evidence to decide whether charges should be filed.
The legal representatives emphasized, “No formal charges have been made against David, and he has only been detained as a suspect. We will vigorously defend his innocence.” This statement marked their first public comment on the matter, with Burke being formally identified as a suspect upon his arrest and currently being held in custody without bail.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered on September 8, 2025, a day following what would have been her 15th birthday. She was reported missing by her family in 2024 from Lake Elsinore, approximately 112 kilometers southeast of Los Angeles, when she was 13 years old. Court documents indicated her age as 14 at the time of her death.
During the investigation, police found a cadaver bag in a 2023 Tesla Model Y at a tow yard, emitting a strong smell of decay and infested with insects. Further examination revealed a decomposed head and torso inside, with the limbs found severed in a separate bag. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the severe decomposition of the body, indicating that Rivas Hernandez had likely been deceased for an extended period.
In November 2025, a court order prevented the release of the autopsy results, leaving the cause of death undisclosed. D4vd, who was on a U.S. tour at the time of the discovery, eventually called off the remaining shows and a scheduled European tour following increased media coverage linking him to the case.
