Singer d4vd Arrested in Los Angeles Teen Killing; LAPD Says He Is Held Without Bail Pending DA Filing
Singer David Burke, known as d4vd, was arrested in Los Angeles in connection with the killing of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Police say deputies found dismembered remains in cadaver bags inside Burke's abandoned 2023 Tesla Model Y after it was towed from a Hollywood Hills neighborhood. Authorities reported a decomposed head and torso in one bag and severed arms and legs in another. Victim Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing at 13 in 2024 from Lake Elsinore and was 14 when killed, according to reports.
LAPD says Burke is being held without bail and the department planned to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office for filing consideration. Earlier reports emphasized an arrest on suspicion and a DA review, but newer reporting from the New York Times says prosecutors have now formally charged Burke in the case. The change illustrates how the legal status has progressed from investigation to formal prosecution in some outlets, and how readers should watch filings and court records for confirmation.
Court documents and reporting say a Los Angeles County grand jury had been investigating secretly and that Burke was named as a target, with subpoenas issued to his parents and brother. Burke's defense team has publicly denied he committed the killing and vowed to vigorously defend his innocence. Social media reaction has ranged from calls for harsh punishment to reminders that arrests require evidence, with some users noting the eerie link between the case and Burke's song "Romantic Homicide." Officials have not publicly released a cause of death, and Burke's representatives did not comment to AP, according to reporting.
📌 Key Facts
- The suspect is David Burke, the singer known as d4vd; NYT reports Los Angeles prosecutors have formally charged him in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, while LAPD says he was arrested on suspicion of murder, is being held without bail, and the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division for review on Monday to determine whether to file charges.
- The victim is identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez; she was reported missing at 13 from Lake Elsinore in 2024, was 14 when killed, and her remains were found Sept. 8, 2025 — one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- Investigators say dismembered, decomposed remains were found inside Burke’s apparently abandoned 2023 Tesla Model Y; court documents and reporting describe a cadaver bag in the front storage compartment containing a decomposed head and torso (covered with insects and emitting a strong odor) and a second bag containing severed arms and legs.
- The case had been the subject of a secret Los Angeles County grand jury probe that named Burke as a target; his parents and brother were subpoenaed in Texas and sought to quash those subpoenas.
- No official cause of death has been publicly released; prosecutors will review the investigation before filing any indictment or complaint and next court proceedings are pending.
- Burke’s defense team has issued a public statement denying he murdered Celeste and vowing to vigorously defend his innocence, though some outlets reported his representatives did not respond to AP requests for comment.
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms LAPD has arrested David Burke (d4vd) on suspicion of murder in the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez and is holding him without bail.
- Clarifies that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Major Crimes Division will review the case Monday to decide whether to file charges; no indictment or complaint has yet been filed.
- Details the condition and discovery of Celeste's body: dismembered remains in cadaver bags inside Burke's apparently abandoned 2023 Tesla Model Y towed from a Hollywood Hills neighborhood.
- Documents that Burke has been a formal target of an LA County grand jury investigation, revealed when his parents and brother moved in Texas court to quash subpoenas.
- Provides first public statement from Burke's defense team, explicitly asserting he did not murder Celeste and vowing to vigorously defend his innocence.
- Reiterates Celeste's disappearance history: reported missing at age 13 from Lake Elsinore in 2024, body found Sept. 8, 2025, the day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- 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.