U.S. artist D4vd has been taken into custody under suspicion of being involved in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose decomposed remains were discovered last year in a seemingly abandoned Tesla linked to him, which was removed from the Hollywood Hills, as informed by the police on Thursday. The 21-year-old alt-pop singer, born in Houston and legally known as David Anthony Burke, is being detained without bail, with law enforcement planning to submit a case to the District Attorney’s Office for potential charges on Monday. Defense lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter stated via email that the evidence will prove Burke’s innocence in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The Los Angeles police will present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday for assessment. The District Attorney’s Office acknowledged the arrest and mentioned that their major crimes division would review the evidence to determine the possibility of pressing charges. The defense team emphasized that no formal charges have been filed against Burke, who remains in custody under suspicion, and they are prepared to strongly defend his innocence.
This marks the first public statement from the defense attorneys concerning the case, with Burke not being publicly named as a suspect until his arrest. He is currently held without bail in jail and has been under investigation by an L.A. County grand jury in relation to the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The investigation was undisclosed officially until it was revealed on Feb. 25 when Burke’s family contested subpoenas in a Texas court, compelling them to testify in California.
Despite multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press, representatives for the artist have not responded. Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s remains were discovered on Sept. 8, 2025, a day following what would have been her 15th birthday. Initially reported missing in 2024 from Lake Elsinore, approximately 112 kilometers southeast of Los Angeles, she was identified as 14 years old when she was killed, according to court documents.
Upon investigating the 2023 Tesla Model Y in a tow yard, authorities found a cadaver bag with signs of decomposition. The bag contained a decomposed head and torso, with the arms and legs discovered severed in separate bags. The Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Rivas Hernandez had likely been deceased for a considerable period before the discovery, with the autopsy findings being sealed in November 2025. Following widespread reports linking him to the case, D4vd halted his U.S. and European tours after initially continuing to perform shows post the body’s discovery.