d4vd, the stage name of David Burke, was arrested by Los Angeles police on suspicion of killing 14 year old Celeste Rivas Hernandez and is being held without bail, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a brief statement.
Investigators said homicide detectives made the arrest and that they will present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to file charges, the office said in its own statement.
Defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter issued a joint response by email that said the evidence will show Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and that no criminal complaint or grand jury indictment has been returned, adding that Burke has only been detained under suspicion.
Authorities had not publicly named Burke as a suspect before the arrest, and court filings show the singer had been under investigation by a county grand jury, a probe whose existence came to light when his mother, father and brother objected in a Texas court to subpoenas seeking testimony.
Details Of The Death Investigation And Background
Police discovered the decomposed body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez in a Tesla that had been towed from the Hollywood Hills after reports of a foul odor, court documents and reporting said, and detectives found the remains inside cadaver bags in the vehicle at a tow yard.
Investigators wrote that officers saw a cadaver bag covered with insects and a strong odor of decay, and that detectives partially unzipped the bag and observed a decomposed head and torso, with arms and legs severed; a second black bag contained additional dismembered parts, court documents said.
No cause of death has been publicly revealed, and court filings show the Tesla Model Y was registered in Burke’s name at the Texas address of the subpoenaed family members, according to prosecutors.
Reporting by entertainment sources said the arrest came after testimony to a grand jury from multiple witnesses, including Burke’s manager Robert Morgenroth and friend Neo Langston, and that law enforcement sources consider a late night trip to a remote area of Santa Barbara relevant to the investigation.
The girl’s family reported her missing when she was a 13 year old seventh grader from Lake Elsinore, and authorities give her age as 14 in court documents, which also note she was found wearing black leggings, a tube top and two pieces of jewelry.
When the body was discovered, d4vd had been touring in support of his first full length album Withered, and earlier releases included EPs titled Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals after he rose to prominence with the TikTok viral song Romantic Homicide and a record deal with Darkroom and Interscope Records.
