Singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has been arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposed and dismembered body was found in a Tesla registered to him. The arrest, announced by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on Thursday, follows a lengthy investigation into the case.
The Tesla Model Y, registered to Burke, was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September 2025 after being abandoned. The body was discovered at a Hollywood tow yard on September 8, 2025, a day after Hernandez would have turned 15. She had been reported missing in 2024 from Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles, when she was 13 years old.
Burke, 21, was taken into custody at a home in the Hollywood Hills and is being held without bail. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday for filing consideration. Prosecutors will review the evidence to determine whether charges will be filed.
The investigation has been ongoing since at least November 2024, when a Los Angeles County grand jury began examining the case. Burke was officially named as a suspect in February 2025, when his family members objected to subpoenas demanding they testify. Court documents described him as a “target” in the investigation.
Police found the body in two black cadaver bags inside the Tesla’s trunk—one containing a decomposed head and torso, the other with dismembered body parts. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Hernandez had been dead for an extended period before discovery but has not released a cause of death.
Burke’s legal team has denied the allegations, stating that he did not cause Hernandez’s death. A spokesperson previously told NBC News that Burke was “fully cooperating with authorities.” His representatives have not responded to multiple requests for comment.
The case has drawn significant attention due to Burke’s status as a rising alt-pop singer, known for collaborations with artists like Kali Uchis and 21 Savage. His tour for the album Withered was canceled amid the investigation.
The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division led the investigation, which included a search warrant at a home Burke had been staying in. Detectives seized electronics and computers as evidence.
Hernandez’s family reported her missing in April 2024, when she was last seen leaving her home to see a movie with Burke. She was 13 at the time and was identified as 14 in court documents when she was killed.
The case remains under review, with prosecutors set to decide on charges next week.