Arrest Made in Teen’s Murder Case
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested 21-year-old David Anthony Burke, an alt-pop singer known as “D4vd,” in connection with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Burke is currently being held without bail.
This arrest follows the grim discovery of the teenager’s remains on September 8, 2025. Her severely decomposed and dismembered body was found in the front trunk of a Tesla Model Y that was linked to Burke, which had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills area.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division is set to review the case for formal charges, with a presentation of findings expected on the upcoming Monday. As of now, no charges or indictments have been filed.
Celeste, who hailed from Lake Elsinore, California, had a history of running away. She was reported missing in April 2024 at just 13 years old, and afterward, there was little contact with her family. The precise date and cause of her death remain unclear due to the advanced decomposition of her body.
Authorities suspect she was killed sometime after her 14th birthday. The nature of her relationship with Burke has become a focal point of the investigation. While police have not classified it as a dating relationship, family members revealed that Celeste had mentioned having a boyfriend named David, and additional evidence—including social media posts, tattoos, and eyewitness accounts—points toward a close connection between them.
Still, Burke’s attorneys assert his innocence, firmly denying any connection to her death. Her remains were identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Burke was taken into custody around 4:30 p.m. at a home in the Hollywood Hills without any incidents. LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division detectives made the arrest with help from other units, and reports include one video showing officers forcing entry through a gate. He was booked later that evening.
The location of his arrest is a newly built rental home in Hollywood Hills. Earlier in the investigation, LAPD detectives executed a search warrant nearby on Doheny Place, confiscating computers and other items.
Burke’s defense team, which includes attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter, released a statement asserting his innocence. “Let us be clear—the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and was not responsible for her death,” they emphasized. “No indictment has been returned by any grand jury, and no criminal complaint has been filed. David is only being held under suspicion, and we will vigorously defend his innocence.”
This case has garnered considerable media attention due to Burke’s emerging status in the music industry, particularly highlighted by his song “Romantic Homicide.” Notably, there had been a secret grand jury investigation underway, with emerging details related to family objections to subpoenas issued in Texas.
As the investigation proceeds, Burke is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The District Attorney’s office has yet to announce any formal charges.
