The musician D4vd has been arrested in connection with the death of a girl, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in the trunk of his Tesla. Rivas Hernandez’s body was found in September one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
Lawyers for D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, said that they would “vigorously defend David’s innocence” and that the evidence in the case would show that he did not kill Celeste. Members of her family could not be reached for comment.
Here’s what we know about the suspect, the victim and the case:
Burke, 21, has millions of followers on social media and music platforms and created the anthem for Fortnite.
His 2022 track “Romantic Homicide” – a slow-rolling song about a failed relationship – blew up on social media.
As his career took off, he got an opening slot on SZA’s SOS Tour. His major-label debut, Withered, was released in 2025, and he had been touring North America and Europe.
Burke was playing dates across the Midwest the week his Tesla was towed. Soon after the news that Celeste’s body had been found in the trunk, several remaining concerts were cancelled.
Celeste was reported missing April 5, 2024, from Lake Elsinore, California, about 113km south-east of Los Angeles. At the time of her disappearance, she was 13.
After her body was found, the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said Celeste was 157cm tall, weighed 32kg, had wavy black hair and was wearing a tube top and small black leggings.
Celeste grew up in Lake Elsinore, a first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from El Salvador, and attended Lakeland Village School, according to the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper reported that she had run away from home multiple times, citing records from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
A Tesla registered to Burke was towed to an impound lot on Sept 5 after officials received a complaint that it appeared to have been abandoned.
On Sept 8, the authorities responded to reports of a foul odor at the impound yard. They looked inside the Tesla and found the “severely decomposed” remains of a girl inside a bag in the front trunk, officials said. The body was later identified as that of Celeste.
Detectives from the LAPD’s robbery-homicide division served a search warrant on a home in the Hollywood Hills in connection with the death investigation on Sept 17, a police spokesperson said. The house’s owner Malden Trifunovic said that Burke’s manager had been leasing the home.
On April 16, the authorities announced that they had arrested Burke. NYTIMES