D4vd has reportedly been arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of murder in connection to the death of a 14-year-old girl whose decomposed body was discovered last year inside a Tesla linked to him.
According to police, the 21-year-old Houston-born alt-pop artist—whose real name is David Burke—is currently being held without bail. Authorities say the arrest is tied to the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Investigators are expected to present their findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday, where prosecutors will determine whether formal charges will be filed.
The case had already been under investigation by a Los Angeles County grand jury. While the proceedings were confidential, details surfaced on February 25 after Burke’s family filed a legal objection in Texas to subpoenas requiring them to testify.
Attempts to reach Burke’s attorney and publicist have reportedly gone unanswered, and his team has yet to comment on the situation.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body was found on September 8, one day after what would have been her 15th birthday. She had been reported missing in 2024 at age 13 from Lake Elsinore, roughly 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Authorities now state she was 14 at the time of her death.
Court documents indicate the 2023 Tesla Model Y where her body was discovered was registered to Burke at a Texas address tied to his family. The vehicle had been towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood where it appeared to have been abandoned.
When investigators searched the car at a tow yard, they reportedly found a cadaver bag “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay.” Upon partially opening it, detectives saw a decomposed head and torso. Further examination revealed that the victim’s limbs had been severed and placed in a separate bag. The official cause of death has not yet been released.
Prior to the arrest, authorities had not publicly named D4vd as a suspect.
The singer rose to fame among Gen Z audiences with his blend of indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop. His breakout hit “Romantic Homicide” went viral on TikTok in 2022 and climbed to No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. He later signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records, releasing Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals in 2023.
At the time the body was discovered, he had been touring in support of his debut album Withered. Several shows—including stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as a performance at the Grammy Museum—were canceled, along with a planned European tour set to kick off in Norway.
