Singer d4vd has been arrested in the United States on suspicion of killing a 14-year-old girl whose decomposed body was discovered seven months ago inside his apparently abandoned Tesla, authorities said Thursday, while his lawyers declared his innocence.
Police in Los Angeles said homicide detectives took the 21-year-old Houston-born alt-pop star, whose legal name is David Burke, into custody in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter responded in an email: “Let us be clear, the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death.”
Authorities said investigators plan to submit their findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday.
The office confirmed it is aware of the arrest and that its Major Crimes Division will review the case to determine whether charges should be filed.
The defense team emphasized the preliminary nature of the case, stating, “There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
It marked their first public comment since the case came to light. Until the arrest, authorities had not publicly identified Burke as a suspect. He is currently being held without bail.
Investigators had previously been probing the case through a grand jury in Los Angeles County.
Although proceedings were confidential, details emerged on February 25 when Burke’s parents and brother challenged subpoenas in a Texas court that sought their testimony.
The remains of Rivas Hernandez were found on September 8 inside a Tesla Model Y that had been towed from the Hollywood Hills, a day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
She had been reported missing in 2024 at age 13 from Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Authorities list her age as 14 at the time of her death.
According to court filings, the vehicle was registered in Burke’s name at a Texas address linked to his family. It had been left in an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood before being removed.
Police searching the vehicle at a tow yard discovered a cadaver bag “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay,” court documents stated, adding that “detectives partially unzipped the bag and observed a decomposed head and torso.”
Further examination by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed the body had been dismembered, with limbs placed in a separate bag beneath the first.
Authorities have not disclosed the cause of death.
d4vd rose to prominence among Gen Z audiences with his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He gained viral fame on TikTok in 2022 with “Romantic Homicide,” which climbed to No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
He later signed with Interscope Records and Darkroom Records, releasing the EPs Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals in 2023.
At the time the body was discovered, the singer had been touring in support of his debut album, Withered. Several performances, including shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles, a scheduled appearance at the Grammy Museum, and a planned European tour starting in Norway — were subsequently canceled.
