Singer D4vd arrested in Hollywood Hills for murder of teenager

Los Angeles police arrested singer D4vd on suspicion of murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez following a long investigation.
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By Clara Wilson

On Thursday, April 16, 2026, the Los Angeles Police Department took 21-year-old David Anthony Burke, a professional recording artist known as D4vd, into custody on suspicion of murder. 

The arrest occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. at Burke’s residence located in the Hollywood Hills. Detectives from the specialized Robbery-Homicide Division conducted the operation following a seven-month investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Authorities confirmed that Burke is currently being held at a Los Angeles County correctional facility without bail as the district attorney prepares to review the case for formal charges.

Details of the Arrest and Legal Proceedings

The apprehension of David Anthony Burke was the result of a coordinated effort by the Los Angeles Police Department. According to official reports, detectives arrived at the Hollywood Hills property late Thursday afternoon and took the singer into custody without incident. 

The Robbery-Homicide Division, which typically manages high-profile cases or those involving complex forensic evidence, has been the lead agency on this matter since late 2025. Following his arrest, Burke was transported to a local station for processing and remains in custody.

Legal representatives for Burke have already issued a preliminary response to the allegations. Blair Berk, a well-known defense attorney representing the artist, stated that the defense team maintains Burke’s innocence. 

According to the defense, the evidence presented during the upcoming judicial proceedings will demonstrate that Burke was not responsible for the death of Hernandez.

Despite these assertions, the decision to hold the suspect without bail indicates the seriousness with which the judicial system is treating the current allegations. This status is often reserved for cases where the severity of the crime or the potential flight risk of the defendant is deemed high by the court.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is expected to receive the full investigative file from police by Monday, April 20. At that time, prosecutors will decide which formal charges to file against the 21-year-old. The legal process in California requires a timely presentation of evidence to a magistrate to justify continued detention. Until that filing occurs, the specific degrees of the murder charges or any additional related counts remain subject to the district attorney’s final evaluation of the police reports and forensic data collected over the past several months.

Investigation Timeline and Discovery of Evidence

The investigation that led to the arrest on Thursday began on September 8, 2025, at a tow yard in the Hollywood area. Employees at the facility reportedly noticed a strong, unpleasant odor emanating from a vehicle that had been abandoned and subsequently towed. The vehicle in question was a Tesla Model Y, which investigators later confirmed was registered to David Anthony Burke. Upon inspecting the interior of the car, authorities discovered human remains in a state of advanced decomposition. Forensic specialists were called to the scene to secure the area and begin the process of identifying the deceased.

According to police records, the condition of the remains required extensive forensic analysis to confirm the identity of the victim. It was eventually determined that the individual was Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a teenager who had been the subject of a missing person search for over a year. 

The discovery of the body within a vehicle linked directly to Burke immediately shifted the focus of the investigation toward the artist's activities during the period the victim was missing.

Over the months following the discovery at the tow yard, the Los Angeles Police Department executed several search warrants at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home. Authorities reported that these searches were intended to locate digital recordings, biological evidence, and any other items that might link the suspect to the crime scene or the victim. 

Detectives specifically sought evidence of blood or other forensic markers that would suggest the crime took place within the residence or the vehicle. The culmination of this forensic work and the analysis of digital communications eventually provided the grounds for the arrest warrant executed this week.

Background on the Victim and Missing Person Case

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 14 years old and a resident of Lake Elsinore, California, at the time of her disappearance. She was first reported missing in April 2024. Lake Elsinore is located in Riverside County, approximately 75 miles southeast of the Hollywood Hills neighborhood where Burke resided. For several months after her initial disappearance, her case was handled as a missing person investigation, with local authorities and family members appealing to the public for information regarding her whereabouts.

As the investigation progressed, links between the teenager and the singer began to emerge. Reports from investigators indicate that Burke and Hernandez may have been in contact through digital platforms. Authorities have suggested that a relationship between the two may have begun when the victim was 12 years old. One of the more specific physical links identified by detectives was the presence of matching tattoos. 

Both individuals reportedly shared identical "Shhh..." tattoos located on their right index fingers. This detail has been utilized by investigators to establish a social and physical connection between the suspect and the victim prior to her death.

The transition from a missing person case to a homicide investigation was a significant turning point for the Hernandez family and the Lake Elsinore community. For over a year, the family had sought answers, unaware that the teenager had been deceased. The discovery of her remains in September 2025 provided some closure regarding her location but initiated a complex criminal inquiry into the circumstances of her passing. 

The age difference between the suspect and the victim, combined with the length of time she was missing, has made this one of the most closely watched cases in Southern California.

Professional Impacts and Search Warrant Details

The ongoing investigation has had a profound impact on the professional life of David Anthony Burke. Shortly after the discovery of the remains in his vehicle in late 2025, the artist's "Withered" world tour was officially canceled. Promoters and management cited the ongoing legal situation as the primary reason for the halt in performances. Additionally, several major brand partnerships and sponsorship deals were paused or terminated as corporations distanced themselves from the high-profile criminal investigation.

Throughout the late months of 2025 and early 2026, the LAPD focused on the technical aspects of Burke’s life. Search warrants were not limited to physical locations but extended to cloud storage and social media accounts. 

Authorities reported that they were looking for any digital footprints that would indicate the nature of the relationship between Burke and Hernandez. This included messaging history, location data from mobile devices, and any potential video or photographic evidence that might have been stored on personal servers.

The focus on digital evidence is a common practice in modern homicide investigations, especially those involving young victims and suspects who maintain a significant online presence. The Robbery-Homicide Division has utilized specialized cyber-crime units to assist in de-encrypting files and recovering deleted communications. 

These technical findings, when combined with the forensic discovery in the Tesla, formed the basis of the prosecution’s current theory of the case. The defense has argued that these digital links are circumstantial and do not provide direct proof of involvement in a violent act.

Future Legal Steps and Defense Response

With the arrest now finalized, the legal system will move toward an arraignment hearing. During this initial court appearance, the charges will be formally read, and Burke will be asked to enter a plea. Given the statements made by his attorney, Blair Berk, it is widely expected that a plea of not guilty will be entered. The defense is likely to challenge the validity of the forensic evidence and the chain of custody regarding the vehicle where the remains were found.

The prosecution, led by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, will be tasked with presenting a case that connects Burke to the death beyond a reasonable doubt. This will involve a detailed presentation of the timeline from April 2024 through the arrest in April 2026. The role of the "Shhh..." tattoos and the digital communications will likely serve as central pillars of the state's argument for a prior relationship and motive. 

Prosecutors have emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing and that they are continuing to speak with potential witnesses who may have had knowledge of Burke's movements during the summer of 2025.

As the case moves toward a preliminary hearing, the court will eventually decide if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a full trial. 

This process can often take several months, during which time both the defense and prosecution will engage in the discovery phase, exchanging evidence and witness lists. The community in Lake Elsinore and the public in Los Angeles continue to follow the developments closely, as the case involves a well-known public figure and a young victim. Further updates from the LAPD or the District Attorney’s Office are expected following the scheduled filing on Monday.

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