On April 16, 2026, Los Angeles police detained David Anthony Burke, the American singer known professionally as D4vd, on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The arrest followed the discovery of the teenager’s remains in September 2025 inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke, according to authorities. Burke, 21, was being held without bail as investigators prepared to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The case has drawn significant attention due to the circumstances surrounding Rivas’s disappearance and the eventual recovery of her body. Rivas, who was born on May 24, 2009, in Lake Elsinore, California, was reported missing multiple times in the final year of her life, with her last known contact with family occurring in May 2024. Surveillance footage and digital evidence later confirmed she was alive in September 2024 and January 2025, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. Her remains were found on September 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, prompting a homicide investigation that remained open for months before Burke’s arrest.
Burke, a rising musician known for songs such as “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me,” released his album Withered in 2025 and had announced plans for a world tour across North America, and Europe. Following the discovery of Rivas’s body, photographs allegedly showing the two together surfaced online. Rivas’s mother stated that her daughter had referred to a boyfriend named “David,” and investigators noted that the teenager and Burke had matching tattoos, though the nature and extent of their relationship remain under investigation.
After his arrest, Burke’s legal team issued a statement asserting his innocence and challenging the basis of the detention. Attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter emphasized that no indictment had been returned by a grand jury and no formal criminal complaint had been filed at the time of the arrest. They stated that the available evidence would demonstrate that Burke did not cause Rivas’s death and pledged to “vigorously defend David’s innocence” as the case proceeds through the legal system.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that Burke was being held without bail and that the case would be reviewed by the district attorney’s major crimes division. Officials noted that the investigation remains active, with forensic and digital evidence still being analyzed. No official cause of death has been publicly disclosed, and authorities have refrained from releasing further details to preserve the integrity of the ongoing probe.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was described by family and community members as a young girl of Salvadoran heritage whose parents had immigrated to the United States from El Salvador. Her disappearance in April 2024 triggered multiple reports to law enforcement, though she was not located until over a year later. The case has highlighted ongoing concerns about missing minors and the challenges faced by families when loved ones proceed unreported for extended periods.
As of April 17, 2026, no trial date has been set, and the next procedural step involves the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reviewing the evidence presented by police to determine whether formal charges will be filed. The decision will hinge on the sufficiency of the evidence collected during the months-long investigation, including digital records, witness statements, and forensic analysis of the vehicle where the remains were found.
This developing story continues to attract attention from national media outlets and advocates for missing persons, particularly within Latino communities. Organizations focused on youth safety and immigrant family support have called for increased resources to prevent similar tragedies and improve response times when minors are reported missing.
For updates on this case, readers are encouraged to follow official statements from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which will provide the most accurate and verified information as the legal process unfolds.