D4vd has been on suspicion of murder in connection with death of missing teenager
No formal charges yet filed as case heads to District Attorney's office
D4vd, the 21-year-old singer whose real name is David Anthony Burke, has been taken into custody in Los Angeles in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old who had been reported missing from California's Inland Empire in 2024.
Burke was arrested on Thursday afternoon on suspicion of murder and is currently being held without bail. No formal charges have yet been filed, though the case is expected to be referred to the L.A. County District Attorney's office for consideration.
The teenager's body was found in September 2025 inside a Tesla registered to Burke. The vehicle had reportedly been left in a Hollywood Hills neighbourhood before being towed, and investigators were alerted after reports of a strong odour from the impounded car. According to authorities, the remains had been inside the vehicle for weeks before the discovery was made.
Law enforcement sources have alleged that Hernandez connected with the singer through social media and may have been living at a rental property with him after leaving home. A grand jury probe has been underway since late 2025, and search warrants were previously executed at Burke's former residence as part of an investigation spanning several months. His North American tour was called off last year during the course of the investigation.
Neither the specific evidence behind the arrest nor the official cause of death have been made public by authorities at this point.
Burke's legal representatives have firmly rejected the allegations. His attorneys said in a joint statement: "Let us be clear – 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."
Burke was arrested on Thursday afternoon on suspicion of murder and is currently being held without bail. No formal charges have yet been filed, though the case is expected to be referred to the L.A. County District Attorney's office for consideration.
The teenager's body was found in September 2025 inside a Tesla registered to Burke. The vehicle had reportedly been left in a Hollywood Hills neighbourhood before being towed, and investigators were alerted after reports of a strong odour from the impounded car. According to authorities, the remains had been inside the vehicle for weeks before the discovery was made.
Law enforcement sources have alleged that Hernandez connected with the singer through social media and may have been living at a rental property with him after leaving home. A grand jury probe has been underway since late 2025, and search warrants were previously executed at Burke's former residence as part of an investigation spanning several months. His North American tour was called off last year during the course of the investigation.
Neither the specific evidence behind the arrest nor the official cause of death have been made public by authorities at this point.
Burke's legal representatives have firmly rejected the allegations. His attorneys said in a joint statement: "Let us be clear – 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."
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