D4vd charged with murder in 'brutal and horrific' death of teenage girl: DA
D4vd was arrested in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The singer D4vd has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the "brutal and horrific" death of a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found in his towed Tesla last year, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced on Monday.
D4vd -- a 21-year-old Los Angeles resident whose legal name is David Burke -- was arrested last week in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez following a monthslong investigation, police said.
He faces a slew of charges and special circumstances alleging he continuously committed "lewd and lascivious sexual acts" with the teen while she was under the age of 14, and that he killed her for financial gain "to maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening" to expose, Hochman said during a press briefing on Monday. The charges also allege he unlawfully mutilated human remains, Hochman said.
"There is physical evidence, and there is forensic and digital evidence, that we intend to present in court to prove these charges beyond a reasonable doubt," Hochman said.
A not guilty plea was entered on D4vd's behalf during his arraignment on Monday, and he remains held on no bail. His next court hearing has been scheduled for Thursday.
During the brief court appearance, his attorney, Blair Berk, asked for a preliminary hearing as soon as possible, saying she believes the evidence will show that D4vd did not murder Rivas Hernandez and that they would "like to be able to have the evidence come into the light of day at the earliest opportunity."
Rivas Hernandez, a reported runaway from Riverside County, was last known to be alive on April 23, 2025, when she arrived at D4vd's home in the Hollywood Hills, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. She was never heard from again, Hochman said.
On Sept. 8, 2025, her badly decomposed, dismembered body was found in the trunk of D4vd's abandoned, impounded Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard, officials said.
Her head and torso were found in one bag, and her arms and legs in another, according to the court documents from Hochman filed in connection with a Los Angeles County grand jury investigation in connection with the teen's death.
The Tesla had been at the impound lot for two days after being found abandoned on a Hollywood street, investigators said. The towed vehicle was registered to Burke.
Officers had responded to the impound lot "for a foul odor coming from a vehicle," Los Angeles police said.
The teen may have been dead for several weeks before her body was discovered, police said. Her remains were found a day after her 15th birthday, according to her death certificate.
"During the course of our investigation, detectives learned that she had been involved in a sexual relationship with Mr. Burke when she was a minor and he was an adult," McDonnell said during the press briefing.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has made a determination on how she died, according to Hochman. The medical examiner's findings in the case are sealed.
The charges come after the Los Angeles Police Department presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Monday for filing consideration.
He faces a maximum sentence of life, without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, Hochman said. The DA said his office will decide whether to seek the death penalty at a later time.
D4vd's attorneys have maintained his innocence since his arrest last Thursday.
"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," his attorneys -- Berk, as well as Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter -- said in a statement on Monday. "We will vigorously defend David's innocence."Â
His parents said in a statement Monday that they are "not surprised but are terribly disappointed that the District Attorney chose to charge David."Â
"Nevertheless they support and stand by him one hundred percent," they added.
Hochman said he has met with members of Rivas Hernandez's family, saying their "grief is incalculable."
"The Rivas Hernandez family is committed to ensuring that Celeste's voice is heard and her memory is honored throughout this process," an attorney for the family, Patrick Steinfeld, said in a statement following D4vd's arrest.
The "Romantic Homicide" singer's arrest comes after months of compiling evidence, senior officials told ABC News. The grand jury that was empaneled didn't play much of a role in getting to this point, they said.
D4vd -- who first went viral on TikTok, where he has nearly 4 million followers -- had been on his "Withered" world tour when the teen's body was discovered in his vehicle. The last few shows of the tour, including those in San Francisco and Los Angeles, were canceled.
Tickets for the world tour were released on April 24, 2025 -- the day after prosecutors say D4vd allegedly invited Rivas Hernandez to his home.
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