D4vd Arrested for Murder After Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 15, Found Dead in His Tesla
D4vd’s lawyers are speaking out.
One day after the singer (real name David Anthony Burke) was arrested for the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez by the Los Angeles Police Department, his lawyers denied he murdered the 15-year-old.
“Let us be clear,” his attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said in a statement to People April 17, “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."
"There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed,” they added. “David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
D4vd is currently being held without bail, according to the LAPD.
E! News has reached out to reps for D4vd but has not heard back yet.
The 21-year-old’s arrest comes less than two months after he was named in a grand jury murder investigation into the death of Rivas Hernandez. He was referred to as a "target" of the grand jury case in a court petition for the attendance of an out-of-state witness obtained by E! News at the time
Rivas Hernandez’s body was found on Sept. 8 in the trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd's Texas address. Police responded to reports of a foul odor coming from the car, which was in a Hollywood tow yard after having been reported abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed the remains belonged to the teen on Sept. 16, although her cause of death was deferred, according to records viewed by E! News on Sept. 17.
CraSH/imageSPACE/Shutterstock
Rivas Hernandez—who had been reported missing from Lake Elsinore, Calif., in April 2024 when she was 13 years old—had her date of death listed as Sept. 8, although officials noted her body appeared to have been in the car for an extended period of time before it was found and was “severely decomposed.”
After her body was discovered, detectives served a search warrant for the home the Tesla had been parked near in the Hollywood Hills, according to the Los Angeles Times. Law enforcement sources told ABC News that D4vd had been staying in the home before embarking on his Withered World Tour in August, which he later cancelled in September.
GoFundMe
Rivas Hernandez’s family also spoke out after the incident, remembering her as a "beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend."
“As many of you know, Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been identified as the body found last week," a statement shared to a GoFundMe page created Sept. 17 read. "Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss. They are seeking help to lay her body to rest."
For a deeper dive into D4vd and the ongoing investigation surrounding Rivas Hernandez’s murder, keep reading.
Instagram/D4vd
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.
Josh Brasted/FilmMagic
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.
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Riot / Netflix
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.
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Made on YouTube 2024
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 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing on April 5, 2024. She was 13 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Her cause of death had been deferred, according to records from the Medical Examiner’s Office viewed by E! News on Sept. 17. Though her date of death was listed as 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.”
Erika Goldring/Getty Images
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.
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
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.”
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
3 hours ago
6
























English (US) ·