D4vd, better known as David Anthony Burke in real life, has reportedly been arrested in connection with the murder of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) issued the following statement following the arrest of the 21-year-old singer who was being held without bail.
'Detectives from the 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. Burke is being held without bail,' the LAPD said in an official statement on X.
It was on 8 September 2025 when the body of Hernandez was found in an abandoned Tesla Model Y towed from the Hollywood Hills. The discovery came a day before the teenager's 15th birthday. The vehicle was registered in Burke's name.
LAPD NEWS: “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. Burke is being held without bail.”
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) April 17, 2026
According to court documents, investigators searched the vehicle and discovered a cadaver bag covered with insects and a strong odor of decay. After partially unzipping the bag, they found a decomposing head and torso.
It was at the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office where investigators discovered the other parts of the body. After finding severed arms and legs initially, a second black bag found under the first bag contained other dismembered parts.
It was a horrific development for the family of Hernandez. They had reported Celeste missing since 2024 in their hometown of Lake Elsinore. She was only a 13-year-old seventh grader at the time, CNN reported.
Legal Response, Public Reaction to D4vd Arrest
Despite his arrest, the lawyers of D4vd stood firm that the singer remains innocent. In an email, attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter pointed out that actual evidence shows that Burke did not murder Hernandez, adding that the 21-year-old was not the cause of her death.
'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's legal counsel stated.
Further, they added that despite the arrest, D4vd was only being detained under suspicion. Until that arrest, Burke was never mentioned publicly as a suspect in the Hernandez murder case.
'There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David's innocence,' the lawyers added.
Romantic Homicide Could Be A 'Hit'
Despite the stance of his legal representatives, D4vd could be in for a huge court battle. Aside from the Tesla where the body of Hernandez was found, there were several songs that contained disturbing lyrics that some associate with the murdered teenager.
One of those was 'Romantic Homicide,' a song that D4vd released in 2022. One of the uncanny lyrics it had was: 'In the back of my mind I killed you and I didn't even regret it.' A video of that song showed violent images of a young, dark-haired woman's dead body along with knives.
Aside from that, another song titled 'One More Dance,' offered a disturbing music video. There was a scene showing Burke's alter ego dragging his own body to the trunk of a car. This is what appears to have led fans to connect it with Hernandez.
Alleged D4vd-Hernandez Movie Date
Before she went missing, Celeste was allegedly set to watch a movie with D4vd. According to her brother, Matthew, her sister informed them that she was on her way to catch a movie with Burke, NBCLA reported.
What happened after that remains a mystery although it implicates that Burke was the last person with Hernandez before she went missing. The nature of their relationship remains unclear for now.
