Who are D4vd, Celeste Rivas? Find out amid singer's arrest
What's the story
Singer D4vd aka David Anthony Burke, 21, was arrested on Thursday by the Los Angeles Police on suspicion of murdering Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The girl's decomposed body was discovered in Burke's apparently abandoned Tesla seven months ago. In a statement, defense attorneys for Burke have claimed that "the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death."
About the accused
Burke's music career and tours
Born in Queens, Burke relocated to Houston at the age of 13, where he was homeschooled. He rose to fame with his TikTok hit Romantic Homicide in 2022. He signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released his debut EP, Petals to Thorns, and its follow-up, The Lost Petals, in 2023. When Hernandez's body was discovered, Burke was on tour for his first full-length album, Withered. Subsequently, the last two of his North American shows were canceled.
About the victim
Everything we know about Hernandez
Hernandez was a resident of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, California, which is roughly 80 miles southeast of the Hollywood Hills, where her body was found. Following her identification, her family set up a GoFundMe campaign titled "Help Lay Celeste Rivas Hernandez to Rest." In the fundraiser, her family described her as "a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend," adding that they are "heartbroken and devastated by the tragic loss."
Discovery details
Hernandez's body was found inside a Tesla
Hernandez's body was found in a Tesla towed from the Hollywood Hills on September 8, a day after her 15th birthday. The vehicle had been sitting seemingly abandoned in an upscale neighborhood. Police investigators discovered a cadaver bag "covered with insects and a strong odor of decay" inside the car during their search at a tow yard.