Singer d4vd Arrested in Los Angeles Teen Killing; LAPD Says He Is Held Without Bail Pending DA Filing
Singer David Burke, known professionally as d4vd, was arrested by Los Angeles police in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez after remains were found inside a 2023 Tesla Model Y that had been towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood. Law enforcement says a cadaver bag containing a decomposed torso and head was found in the front storage compartment and a second bag contained severed arms and legs; prosecutors and police have not publicly released an official cause of death. Authorities say Burke is being held without bail and the case was to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Major Crimes Division for possible filing; court and grand jury documents reported by news organizations show a secret grand jury had named Burke as a target and subpoenaed relatives in Texas.
Reporting across outlets has differed on the immediate legal posture. Fox News and NPR cited LAPD and court documents saying Burke was arrested on suspicion of murder and was being held without bail while prosecutors decide whether to file charges, with the DA's office scheduled to review the matter. The New York Times later reported that Los Angeles prosecutors had formally charged Burke in the case, a development that, if confirmed, moves the story from an investigation and potential filing into active prosecution; that shift in reporting represents a significant change in the public narrative about the case. Independent details from AP-cited documents and NPR's coverage supplied timeline context — that Celeste was reported missing at 13 in 2024, was believed to have been 14 when killed, and her remains were found Sept. 8, 2025, one day after what would have been her 15th birthday — and noted that Burke's representatives have not responded to requests for comment.
Public reaction has been intense and divided on social media, where some users urge swift and severe punishment while others caution that arrests must be supported by evidence and note the importance of due process; posts also highlight the defense's insistence that evidence will show Burke's innocence. That debate sits against broader patterns in teen homicides: nationally, a majority of victims aged 12-17 are killed by someone known to them but outside the family, with strangers accounting for a smaller share, a contextual reminder that many juvenile homicides involve acquaintances rather than random violence.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, for homicide victims aged 12-17, 56.5% were killed by someone known but outside the family, 24.1% by strangers, and 12.2% by family members, with a rate of 5.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Victimization in the United States, 2023 — Bureau of Justice Statistics
📌 Key Facts
- David Burke, the singer known as d4vd, was arrested by the LAPD in Los Angeles on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of 14‑year‑old Celeste Rivas Hernandez and is being held without bail.
- Reporting differs on formal charging status: The New York Times says Los Angeles prosecutors have formally charged d4vd, while Fox News and NPR say the case is being presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (Major Crimes Division) for review and filing consideration, indicating charges may not yet be formally filed.
- Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing at age 13 in 2024 from Lake Elsinore; she was 14 when killed and her remains were found Sept. 8, 2025 — one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- Court and grand‑jury documents say a 2023 Tesla Model Y linked to Burke was towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood after being left apparently abandoned, searched at a tow yard, and found to contain human remains in the front storage compartment (a cadaver bag with a decomposed, dismembered body and a second bag with severed arms and legs).
- Forensic and court documents describe a decomposed head and torso, insects on the cadaver bag and a strong odor of decay; no official cause of death has been publicly released.
- A Los Angeles County grand jury had been secretly investigating Burke; documents name him as the grand jury’s target for one count of murder and show subpoenas were issued to three relatives (including his parents and brother) in Texas.
- Authorities have issued statements about the arrest and next court steps, and Burke’s representatives have not responded to multiple requests for comment.
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms LAPD statement that David Burke (d4vd) was arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
- Details that LAPD plans to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Monday and that the DA's Major Crimes Division will review whether to file charges.
- Adds specific narrative about how the body was discovered: Tesla towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood after sitting apparently abandoned, then searched at a tow yard.
- Provides graphic forensic details from court documents: cadaver bag covered with insects and strong odor of decay, decomposed head and torso observed, arms and legs severed and found in a second bag.
- Clarifies victim timeline: Celeste was reported missing at 13 in 2024 from Lake Elsinore, was 14 when killed, and her body was found Sept. 8, 2025, one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- Reiterates that a Los Angeles County grand jury had already been secretly investigating Burke and that his parents and brother were subpoenaed in Texas, revealing him as the grand jury’s target.
- Notes that no cause of death has been publicly released and that Burke’s representatives have not responded to multiple AP requests for comment.
- LAPD publicly states that David Burke (d4vd) is being held without bail following his arrest.
- LAPD says the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday for filing consideration, indicating charges are not yet formally filed.
- Fox reproduces grand jury subpoena language specifying that the Tesla was a 2023 Model Y, that a cadaver bag containing a decomposed, dismembered body was found in the front storage compartment, and that a second bag contained severed arms and legs.
- The article reconfirms, via AP-cited documents, that Burke was the grand jury’s named target for one count of murder and that three relatives received subpoenas for testimony.
- Timeline detail that Hernandez was reported missing as a 13‑year‑old in 2024 and was 14 when killed; her body was found Sept. 8, 2025, one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- Confirms that Los Angeles prosecutors have formally charged d4vd in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, not just arrested him on suspicion.
- Provides the victim’s full name, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and clarifies her age and status as a teenager (if specified in the NYT piece).
- Adds details about the circumstances of the incident involving a Tesla (as implied by the URL), including where and how the body was discovered and any new timeline specifics.
- Includes new quotes or statements from law enforcement, prosecutors or defense counsel regarding the nature of the charges and next court dates.