Authorities took 21-year-old singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, into custody Thursday in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The arrest follows a harrowing investigation that began in September 2025, when investigators discovered the teenager’s body inside the trunk of Burke’s impounded Tesla.
Burke currently remains in behind bars without bail following his apprehension in the Hollywood Hills on a probable cause warrant.
Breaking months of silence, the victim’s father, Jesus Rivas, expressed a sense of relief regarding the arrest.
“Thank God … justice for Celeste,” Rivas said in a statement released through family attorney Patrick Steinfeld.
The Hernandez family intends to exercise their rights under California’s Marsy’s Law, ensuring their presence at Burke’s arraignment and all subsequent legal proceedings. Steinfeld confirmed the family also plans to address the media directly following the singer’s first court appearance.
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The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) previously identified Burke as a suspect in November 2025, just two months after the grisly discovery of Hernandez’s remains. The timeline of the case highlights several critical points:
- September 8, 2025: Hernandez’s body was found in Burke’s impounded vehicle, one day after her 15th birthday.
- February 2026: Prosecutors launched a grand jury probe, alleging Burke’s potential involvement in “foul play.”
- April 16, 2026: LAPD executed the arrest warrant.
While a formal connection between the artist and the victim remains unconfirmed by officials, digital investigators have noted that both Hernandez and Burke shared identical “Shhh” tattoos on their right index fingers. The LAPD has not yet commented on the significance of this matching ink.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division is currently reviewing the case file. Prosecutors will determine this week whether the evidence supports a formal murder charge.
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Burke’s legal team, led by high-profile attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter, issued a firm denial of the allegations. “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,” the defense stated, emphasizing that their client has only been detained under suspicion and not yet indicted.
LAPD sources indicate that Burke has allegedly been “uncooperative” throughout the investigation. The District Attorney’s office is expected to announce a filing decision following a comprehensive review of forensic evidence and grand jury testimony.
