Singer D4vd arrested in connection with death of teen girl
April 17, 2026
The arrest comes months after police in Los Angeles said a body was found in the trunk of the musician’s car. Lawyers for David Burke, who performs as D4vd, said they will defend his innocence.
The singer and TikTok personality known as D4vd was arrested Thursday in Hollywood on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of a teenage girl. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old musician's legal name, was taken into custody by its Robbery-Homicide Division. Burke is being held without bail, and authorities are expected to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Monday for consideration of formal charges. The arrest is a major development in a grim case that began with the discovery of human remains in the trunk of a Tesla registered to the singer in September 2025.
The victim was identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was reported missing in 2024 at the age of 13 from her home in Lake Elsinore, a city about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Her severely decomposed body was found in a tow yard inside Burke's vehicle, which had been impounded after being apparently abandoned on a Hollywood Hills street. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office determined she had been deceased for an extended period. Court documents unsealed in February 2026 revealed that Burke was the "target" of a grand jury investigation into the death, which was described as a homicide. The documents also contained disturbing details, noting that the victim's body was found dismembered inside cadaver bags.
Burke, who rose to prominence around 2022 with viral TikTok hits like "Romantic Homicide," had previously been identified by investigators as a suspect. In September 2025, after the discovery of the body, a spokesperson stated that the singer was "fully cooperating with authorities," though investigators later said that was no longer the case. As the investigation intensified, Burke canceled the remainder of a U.S. tour. His family members in Texas also unsuccessfully fought subpoenas to testify before the California grand jury. Images of the arrest on Thursday showed heavily armed LAPD officers at a Hollywood residence.
In a statement following the arrest, Burke's legal team maintained his innocence. His attorneys, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter, issued a joint statement asserting that "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." They emphasized that he has only been detained on suspicion and that no indictment has been returned or criminal complaint filed. The legal team stated their intention to "vigorously defend" his innocence.
The arrest marks a dramatic turn for the Houston-raised artist, who signed with Darkroom/Interscope Records after his self-recorded songs gained massive online traction. His music, a blend of indie rock and R&B, found a large audience, particularly among younger listeners, and led to a tour opening for the artist SZA. The case will now move to the district attorney's office, where prosecutors will review the evidence gathered by the LAPD to determine whether to file formal murder charges against Burke, setting the stage for what would be a high-profile legal battle.
Source: washingtonpost