Singer-songwriter David Burke, known professionally as d4vd, was arrested by Los Angeles police on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of a 14-year-old girl, authorities said.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division took Burke, 21, into custody and he is being held without bail, the LAPD said. TMZ published video showing officers placing the musician under arrest. Detectives plan to present their investigation to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, and prosecutors said they will announce Monday whether they will file formal charges.
Burke’s lawyers — Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter — issued a statement saying the evidence will show Burke did not kill Celeste Rivas Hernandez and was not the cause of her death. The attorneys noted no indictment or criminal complaint has been filed and described Burke as detained under suspicion. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence,” they said.
The arrest follows a grand jury investigation into Rivas’s death. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani noted some grand juries are convened for investigative purposes and do not return indictments, adding that investigative grand juries often produce reports for the district attorney rather than issuing indictments.
Riverside County authorities confirmed Rivas had been reported missing from Lake Elsinore more than a year earlier. A missing-person flyer said she was last seen on April 5, 2024, leaving her home at about 9 p.m.
According to court records and police statements, Rivas’s remains were found Sept. 8, 2025, in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke. The car was parked at a Hollywood tow lot when officers responding to reports of a foul odor discovered a decomposed head and torso in a cadaver bag inside the vehicle; additional dismembered body parts were reportedly located in a separate bag in the car. Court filings described the remains as “severely decomposed” and “dismembered.”
Law enforcement officials say the investigation remains active and have not publicly detailed a motive or timeline linking Burke to the death. Detectives are continuing to gather and review evidence before the district attorney decides whether to file criminal charges.
When Rivas’s identity was released, Burke — identified in some earlier reports as 20 — canceled a scheduled Seattle concert the same day and subsequently canceled additional dates on the d4vd Withered 2025 World Tour.
No conviction has been made. The arrest reflects suspicion and an ongoing investigation; prosecutors will determine whether to file charges after reviewing the case presented by detectives.