Los Angeles police arrested singer D4vd on Thursday for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, seven months after detectives found her dismembered body in the trunk of his abandoned Tesla.
🚨TMZ has obtained exclusive video showing singer D4vd being arrested for the murder of Celeste Rivas and the scene is intense. pic.twitter.com/3G1o66DDaA
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 17, 2026
The 21-year-old artist, legal name David Anthony Burke, is being held without bail after detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Robbery-Homicide Division acted on a probable cause warrant rather than a grand jury indictment. Burke's case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office on Monday for filing consideration.
“The case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office on Monday for filing consideration.”
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) April 17, 2026
LAPD Robbery Homicide Division along with the assistance of @LAPD_GND arrested David Burke for the murder of Celeste Rivas. pic.twitter.com/75WTExPG3w
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) April 17, 2026
Three Missing Reports From a Family Who Kept Calling
Celeste was the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants in Lake Elsinore, California, and her family reported her missing to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office three separate times in the final year of her life. She ran away from home in April 2024. Her family last heard from her in May 2024.
Surveillance footage and digital evidence later confirmed she was still alive in September 2024, and again as late as January 2025. A private investigator hired by a Hollywood Hills homeowner said the last photograph of Celeste on Burke's camera was dated 2 January 2025.
New Celeste Rivas video shows argument with neighbors months after she went missing 👀 pic.twitter.com/WLIhpy4Jo9
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 30, 2025
A Spring 2025 Trip to Santa Barbara
Investigators are focusing on a drive Burke allegedly took to Santa Barbara County in the spring of 2025, a trip witnesses have been questioned about before the grand jury. Celeste is believed to have died within weeks of that period.
Burke's own calendar stayed full. His debut album Withered dropped in April 2025. His world tour opened in August. His Tesla, however, stayed behind in Hollywood Hills.
The Tesla Sat Ticketed for 11 Days Before Anyone Looked Inside
Neighbourhood surveillance captured the black 2023 Tesla being parked on Bluebird Avenue on 29 July 2025, the same day Burke and his entourage boarded a tour bus for San Francisco. A parking officer first marked the vehicle for a 72-hour violation on August 27. It was formally cited on September 3 and towed to a Hollywood impound yard on September 5.
On September 8, a tow yard worker called the police about a foul odour coming from the trunk. Officers opened the front trunk (frunk) and found two bags containing the severely decomposed, partially dismembered remains of a teenage girl. The Tesla had been marked by enforcement 11 days before anyone looked inside.
Celeste was identified via dental records and a matching 'Shhh...' finger tattoo, the same as Burke's, on September 16. Burke performed at the Fillmore Minneapolis the day after her body was discovered, then cancelled the remainder of the Withered tour on September 19.
Sealed Records, a Grand Jury, and Finally a Warrant
On 21 November 2025, the LAPD obtained a court order from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Richman sealing the medical examiner's case file, including the cause and manner of death. An investigative grand jury was convened the same month inside the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Prosecutor Beth Silverman's team called Robert Morgenroth, general manager of management firm Mogul Vision, who testified from December 8 to 11 about why he never contacted police. Neo Langston, a former close associate of Burke, was arrested in Montana on 23 January 2026 for skipping a grand jury appearance. He testified on February 4.
Burke's parents and brother were subpoenaed the same month. Court filings already listed the matter as 'The People of the State of California v. David Burke.'
On Thursday, detectives moved. The warrant rests on evidence and probable cause, meaning prosecutors believe they have enough to charge without waiting for a grand jury indictment. Burke, represented by defence attorney Blair Berk, will learn on Monday whether the DA's office formally files.
