Singer d4vd arrested on suspicion of murder in death of Celeste Rivas, LAPD says

Singer and songwriter d4vd has been arrested on suspicion of murder for the death of a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found last year in a Tesla belonging to the musician.

The arrest comes after the 21-year-old singer, whose name is David Burke, was the target of a grand jury investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

“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 announced on X. 

TMZ obtained a video that shows officers arresting the singer.   

Detectives will present the case to the L.A. County District Attorney’s office for formal charges. Prosecutors said they plan to announce their decision on whether to file charges on Monday. 

Burke’s attorneys, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, said in a statement 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.”

“There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed,” the attorneys said. “David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said there are different types of grand juries, some of which do not need to return an indictment.

“In an investigative grand jury, typically, they don’t have the power to return an indictment,” Rahmani said. “That’s one of the differences between state and federal grand juries. Typically, on the federal side, the grand jury can do both. If you convene a grand jury in state court for an investigative purpose, they typically will not return an indictment as well. They can prepare a report but that will go to the DA’s office.”

Rivas’ family plans to attend Burke’s arraignment on Monday and the ensuing press conference with the District Attorney’s Office, according to the family’s attorney, Patrick Steinfeld.

“The Rivas Hernandez family is committed to ensuring that Celeste’s voice is heard and her memory is honored throughout this process,” Steinfeld said. 

Steinfeld added that Rivas’ father, Jesus Rivas, said, “Thank God. Justice for Celeste,” when he learned police arrested Burke.

The grand jury investigation came several months after the remains of Hernandez were found on Sept. 8, 2025, in the trunk of a Tesla registered in d4vd’s name that was parked in a Hollywood tow lot. Her body was found “severely decomposed” and “dismembered,” according to court records.  

Police responded to reports of a foul smell attracting flies at the Hollywood Tow yard, and according to court records, they found a decomposed head and torso in a cadaver bag inside a Tesla stored at the yard. In another bag inside the car, dismembered body parts were found.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Rivas was reported missing from Lake Elsinore over a year ago.  A “Missing Person” flyer states that she was last seen on April 5, 2024, after leaving her home at 9 p.m. that day. 

Burke was on the d4vd Withered 2025 World Tour when the identity of the deceased teenager was released. He canceled a Seattle concert the same day Rivas was identified. Cancellations of subsequent shows followed.