TikTok-born music star D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a months-long investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were discovered inside a vehicle linked to the singer in September 2025.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Thursday that the 21-year-old was arrested and is being held without bail. The case is expected to be presented to the District Attorney’s office on Monday.
A Disturbing Discovery
The investigation began on September 8, 2025, when authorities received reports of a foul odour coming from a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard. What they found inside was deeply disturbing — the decomposed remains of a teenage girl, later identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, discovered in a cadaver bag in the front boot of the vehicle. Court documents confirmed the Tesla was registered to D4vd’s address in Texas.
The county medical examiner described the body as “severely decomposed” and indicated the girl may have been dead for several weeks before the discovery. No official cause of death has been announced, with authorities treating the case as a death investigation for months before the arrest.
In November, a judge ordered that the teenager’s death records be sealed to protect the integrity of the investigation, ensuring that law enforcement received information from the medical examiner before any details became public.
Who Was Celeste Rivas Hernandez?
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 14 years old and lived approximately 75 miles from where her body was found. She had last been reported missing by her family in April 2024 from their home in Lake Elsinore, California — though it was not the first time she had left home.
A first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from El Salvador, those who knew her described her as a familiar face in the neighbourhood — a girl who would visit her local corner store nearly every day to buy snacks and drinks.
When her body was found, she was wearing a tube top, black leggings, and jewellery including a yellow metal earring and a bracelet. She also had a tattoo on her index finger that read “Shhh…” — a marking described as nearly identical to one on D4vd’s own index finger, a detail that drew significant attention online.
The Grand Jury and the Investigation
A grand jury began hearing evidence in the case in December 2025. Further details emerged when D4vd’s father, Dawud Burke, fought against a California court summons in Texas — and in doing so, included previously undisclosed material from the California case in his court filings.
Those documents confirmed that D4vd had been formally identified as a “target” of the grand jury investigation and that he could face proceedings on one count of murder.
Thursday’s arrest marks the first major development in the case in several months. Police stated plainly that Burke had been arrested “for the murder of Celeste Rivas.”
The singer’s representatives had previously said he was cooperating with authorities.
The Fallout on D4vd’s Career
Even before the arrest, the case had already unravelled D4vd’s career at remarkable speed.
Shortly after his Hollywood Hills mansion — located just blocks from where the Tesla had been towed — was raided by Los Angeles police, the singer cancelled his entire world tour. He largely retreated from social media and public life in the months that followed.
Brand partnerships also collapsed. US clothing retailer Hollister and footwear giant Crocs both dropped the singer from their marketing campaigns. Fellow artist Kali Uchis announced she was removing their collaboration, Crashing, from all platforms.
The online response to the case has been significant, with the combination of the macabre circumstances, the matching tattoos, and the lack of official information for months fuelling widespread public interest and speculation.
What Comes Next
With D4vd now in custody and the case heading to the District Attorney’s office, the formal legal process is underway. The coming weeks will determine what charges are officially filed and what evidence prosecutors intend to present.
For the family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, Thursday’s arrest is a significant moment — the beginning, perhaps, of answers to questions they have been living with for well over a year.
She was 14 years old, a girl who bought candy from the corner store and had her whole life ahead of her. Her story deserves to be told with the gravity it warrants.
