D4vd Arrested for Murder After Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 15, Found Dead in His Tesla
D4vd is in police custody.
Seven months after the body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in a Tesla registered under his real name David Anthony Burke, the “Here With Me” singer was arrested for her murder, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement April 16.
He is being held without bail.
A spokesperson for D4vd told NBC News in September that the 21-year-old was “fully cooperating with the authorities.” E! News has reached out to his rep for comment on the arrest but hasn’t heard back.
Rivas Hernandez’s remains were discovered in the front trunk of a Tesla after police responded to reports of a foul odor coming from the car. At the time, the vehicle was in a tow yard in Hollywood after having been reported abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on Sept. 16 that the remains belonged to Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing on April 5, 2024 from Lake Elsinore, a city approximately 70 miles away from Los Angeles. The teen was 13 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Rivas Hernandez’s cause of death was deferred, according to records from the Medical Examiner’s Office viewed by E! News on Sept. 17. And while the date of her death was listed as Sept. 8—the day her body was discovered—officials noted her body appeared to have been in the car for an extended period of time before it was found and was “severely decomposed.”
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Following the tragic discovery, D4vd canceled part of his North American tour that was in support of his debut album Withered.
The “Feel It” singer’s career took off within the last few years after he began writing his own music for Fortnite videos he posted to YouTube. He soon made the transition to TikTok, where several of his songs—including “Romantic Homicide”—went viral.
For more about D4vd and the tragic case, keep reading.
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Where is D4vd From?
Born in Queens, New York, D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) moved to Houston, Texas, when he was 13 years old.
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How Did D4vd Become Famous?
D4vd first began his career as a streamer, playing Fortnite and other games in an attempt to go viral on YouTube. When he ran into copyright infringement challenges with the music he was adding to his videos in 2021, he turned to his mom.
“I’m like crying to Mom about it,” he told Benny Blanco during an interview for Hero magazine in September 2024. “I’m like, Yo, I don’t know what to do I’m not making any money anymore, blah blah blah.’ And she was on a phone, and she was like, ‘Just make your own music, go get out of my face.’ And I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I could probably do that.'”
From there, despite not having any musical experience other than singing for fun, D4vd downloaded an app on his phone and started making music. Soon, some of his songs went viral, and after more of his original music started to go viral on TikTok, his career began to really take off.
The 20-year-old eventually released his debut album, Withered, in April 2025, embarking on his first world tour shortly thereafter.
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When Was the Body Found in D4vd’s Car?
On Sept. 8, the Los Angeles Police Department was called to a tow yard in Hollywood over reports of a foul odor coming from a vehicle, law enforcement sources told NBC News.
The LAPD found human remains wrapped in a bag hidden in the front trunk of a Tesla, which was registered in Hempstead, Texas, under D4vd’s real name, David Anthony Burke.
Police said the vehicle had been towed to the impound lot after it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Made on YouTube 2024
Who Was the Victim Found in D4vd’s Car?
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office September 16 said the remains found in the Tesla were identified as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing on April 5, 2024. She was 13 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Her cause of death had been deferred, according to records from the Medical Examiner’s Office viewed by E! News on Sept. 17. Though her date of death was listed as September 8—the day her body was discovered—officials noted her body appeared to have been in the car for an extended period of time before its discovery and was “severely decomposed.”
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What Has D4vd Said About the Investigation?
Following the discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s body, a spokesperson for D4vd said in a statement to NBC News that the singer “has been informed about what’s happened, and although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities.”
Since then, D4vd canceled the remainder of his U.S. dates.
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What Happened in the Case?
D4vd was arrested for Rivas Hernandez’s murder, the Los Angeles Police Department announced April 16, 2026.
“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,” the public information officer stated on X. “Burke is being held without bail.”
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