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LOS ANGELES — The musician known as D4vd has been formally accused of first-degree murder in the “brutal and horrific” killing of a 14-year-old girl. Her dismembered remains were discovered in his impounded Tesla last year in Los Angeles, according to an announcement by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Monday.
David Burke, the 21-year-old artist residing in Los Angeles and legally known as D4vd, was apprehended last week. His arrest follows a comprehensive investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, as reported by police authorities. Burke is currently detained without the possibility of bail.
The charges were filed after the Los Angeles Police Department submitted the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday for review and consideration.
If convicted, Burke faces a life sentence with no chance of parole, as stated by District Attorney Hochman.
The gruesome discovery of the teenager’s dismembered body was made last fall in the trunk of a Tesla car registered to the musician.
Rivas Hernandez’s family is expected to attend the presser and court hearing, their attorney said.
“The Rivas Hernandez family is committed to ensuring that Celeste’s voice is heard and her memory is honored throughout this process,” the attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, said in a statement.
D4vd’s attorneys maintained his innocence following his arrest on Thursday.
“Let us be clear — 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 said in a statement. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
READ MORE: Who is D4vd? Singer arrested in 14-year-old’s death started as video game streamer
Rivas Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, had been missing for over a year when her badly decomposed, dismembered body was found in the trunk of D4vd’s abandoned, impounded Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard in September 2025, 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.
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.
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