Los Angeles: R&B singer D4vd has been arrested in connection with the killing of a teenage girl whose severely decomposed body was discovered inside his Tesla in Los Angeles, according to police.
D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is 21 years old and is currently being held without bail, city authorities confirmed.
The investigation began in September when LAPD detectives responded to a Hollywood tow yard after receiving reports of a strong foul odor coming from an impounded vehicle registered to D4vd. The car had been towed from the Hollywood Hills after being found apparently abandoned.
When officers examined the vehicle, they discovered a dismembered body inside. The remains were later identified as 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing in 2024 and was last seen in Lake Elsinore, about 60 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Rivas Hernandez had been deceased inside the vehicle for an “extended period of time before being found.”
Authorities said the case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the arrest in a statement to The New York Times, saying the case is expected to be reviewed by the Major Crimes Division.
“Prosecutors will review the facts and evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to file charges,” the statement said.
At the time of the arrest, D4vd was already facing a grand jury investigation related to Rivas Hernandez’s death. His attorney, Blair Berk, could not be immediately reached for comment. Earlier in September, a spokesperson for D4vd told the media that he was “fully cooperating with the authorities.”
That same month, police obtained and executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills property where D4vd had been staying. Detectives seized a computer and other items, according to the media.
D4vd, who was raised in Houston, rose to fame around 2022 after a string of viral TikTok hits, including Romantic Homicide, which has since drawn renewed attention due to its lyrics referencing death.
His rising career led to collaborations with artists such as SZA and Kali Uchis. Following the emergence of the investigation, D4vd’s tour was cancelled. The case has sparked widespread online attention, with internet users and amateur investigators attempting to piece together possible links between D4vd and the victim.
According to the victim’s brother, Matthew, he told NBCLA in September that before she went missing, his sister said she was going to watch a movie with D4vd. Authorities have not confirmed any relationship between D4vd and the victim, and the investigation is ongoing.
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