The Los Angeles Police Department has arrested David Burke after the missing teen was discovered dead in his vehicle.
Singer d4vd has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the missing teenage girl whose remains were discovered in the trunk of his abandoned car in September 2025.
The Los Angeles Police Department announced on X on Thursday, April 16, that its Robbery-Homicide Division arrested David Burke—known professionally as d4vd—a 21-year-old Los Angeles resident. He is currently being held without bail.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said the case will soon be submitted to the Major Crimes Division, after which prosecutors will decide whether there is enough evidence to file charges.
The arrest comes months after the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in an impounded Tesla registered to Burke. The vehicle had reportedly been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills near the singer’s residence for several weeks, with police alerted after a strong foul odor was detected coming from it.
d4vd’s lawyer issues statement after arrest
Burke’s attorneys—Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peters—released a statement following his arrest, saying: “Let us be clear—the evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and was not responsible for her death.”
They added, “No grand jury indictment has been issued and no criminal complaint has been filed. David has only been detained on suspicion. We will vigorously defend his innocence.”
What happened to Celeste Rivas Hernandez?
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office had listed Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore, California, as missing on multiple occasions in 2024. Local residents previously told the Los Angeles Times that she had a history of running away from home.
Her remains were discovered on September 8, 2025, just days before her 15th birthday. At that time, d4vd was on his Withered World Tour in Minneapolis, which he later cancelled.
A representative for the artist told NBCLA that he was cooperating with authorities, a claim later disputed by an LAPD source.
In February 2026, Burke was reportedly identified as a target in a grand jury murder investigation.
Police have not confirmed any connection between Rivas and Burke, although online speculation has suggested a possible prior relationship.
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