14-Year-Old Girl Murdered in California; Charges Filed Against Singer

A tragic incident unfolded in California involving a 14-year-old girl who was severely injured with a chainsaw in an inflatable pool after allegedly threatening to reveal her ex-boyfriend as a suspected child predator, according to Los Angeles prosecutors.

David Anthony Burke, a 21-year-old singer-songwriter, known by the stage name “D4vd,” faces serious charges including murder, child molestation, and unlawful mutilation of a corpse. Prosecutors allege he had abused the teen for several months before murdering her, dismembering her body, and abandoning it in the trunk of his Tesla.

Burke has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently being held without the option of bail.

Details from court filings indicate that Celeste Rivas Hernandez was last seen on April 23, 2025. Prosecutors believe that Burke invited her to his home in Hollywood Hills after a disagreement, concerned she might expose their relationship.

Authorities discovered her dismembered remains in the trunk of an abandoned car approximately 400 feet from her residence on September 8, 2025. The vehicle was registered to Burke, and surveillance footage reportedly captured him as the last person to drive it.

Investigators allege that Burke had set up an inflatable pool in his garage to collect Celeste’s blood while using a chainsaw and other tools to dismember her. Some remnants of the pool were found mixed with her remains.

He is also suspected of severing two of her fingers, reportedly because they bore his name. Those parts were never recovered. Despite his efforts to conceal the crime, Burke allegedly placed multiple body parts into garbage bags, stored them in his Tesla’s trunk, and disposed of her remains close to his home months later while he was on tour.

Prosecutors stated that Burke initially met Celeste when she was 11 years old and began abusing her when she turned 13. The two maintained contact even after they “separated” in November 2024, with Celeste actively messaging him until her phone activity ceased.

In court documents, prosecutors revealed that Celeste had expressed jealousy over Burke’s relationships with other women, leading her to threaten to expose damaging details about their relationship, which apparently instigated the violent confrontation that ultimately claimed her life.

Burke allegedly arranged for Celeste to take an Uber to his home, but by the time she arrived, he had already murdered her. The coroner determined she died from multiple stab wounds.

Following the incident, Burke gave a radio interview about his upcoming album and subsequently ordered tools and supplies online that prosecutors claim were used in the dismemberment.

California law enforcement has suspended the death penalty, yet prosecutors are still pushing for it considering the heinous nature of the crime, especially after discovering a significant amount of child sexual abuse material on Burke’s phone.

Legal analysts indicated that the shocking details revealed by the prosecution may increase the chances of a murder conviction or even lead to the application of the death penalty, should a jury find him guilty.