Singer D4vd, a viral TikTok sensation with nearly 4 million followers, faces murder charges after police discovered the decomposing body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez in the trunk of his Tesla last September.
Body Discovered in Abandoned Vehicle
Los Angeles Police arrested David Burke, the 21-year-old singer known professionally as D4vd, in connection with the death of the teenage girl from Lake Elsinore, California. Authorities found Hernandez’s remains in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla after the vehicle sat abandoned on a Hollywood street for two days before being towed to an impound lot. Police sources confirmed the body was in an advanced state of decomposition and had been dismembered. Investigators believe the process of dismembering and disposing of the body likely involved multiple people, and the victim may have been dead for several weeks before discovery.
Singer Denies All Charges
Burke is being held without bail on suspicion of murder. The Los Angeles Police Department will present the case to the District Attorney’s Office for formal filing consideration. His attorneys released a statement maintaining his innocence, emphasizing that no indictment has been returned by a grand jury and no criminal complaint has been filed. The defense team stated the evidence will prove Burke did not murder Hernandez and was not responsible for her death. They pledged to vigorously defend his innocence as the case moves forward through the legal system.
Career Derailed By Investigation
The arrest comes more than a year after Hernandez was reported missing in 2024. D4vd, who gained fame through TikTok and his hit song “Romantic Homicide,” was on his “Withered” world tour when authorities discovered the body in September. The singer immediately canceled remaining tour dates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and throughout Europe. Promotion for the deluxe edition of his debut album, scheduled for release on September 19, was also suspended. The case developed through evidence and probable cause rather than a grand jury indictment, according to sources familiar with the investigation.