What to KnowThe singer known as D4vd has been arrested in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, who was reported missing in the spring of 2025. The Lake Elsinore girl’s decomposed body was found Sept. 8 in the front trunk of a Tesla impounded at a Los Angeles tow yard.The car was impounded after someone reported it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors say it had been parked for more than a month. David Burke, also known as D4vd, faces a first-degree murder charge and special circumstances allegations of lying in wait, murder for financial gain and murdering a witnesses in an investigation.Prosecutors and police say Celeste, reported missing in Riverside County, visited Burke’s Hollywood Hills home April 23, 2025 and was “never heard from” again. More details were revealed Monday about what led to the arrest of the TikTok star and singer known as D4vd in connection with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez when murder and other charges were announced in the teen’s death. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at the Monday news conference that D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, will face a first-degree murder charge, including special circumstances allegations, and other charges. He also faces one count each of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Crime and Courts Apr 17 What to know about D4vd's arrest in killing of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez Burke was arrested Thursday in the death of the Lake Elsinore girl whose remains were found in September in the front storage area of an abandoned Tesla registered to Burke. The vehicle was impounded after it had been parked for an extended period in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood not far from a rental property where Burke was living. Police said Celeste’s death likely occurred in the spring of last year. Hochman and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said Celeste, who had been reported missing in Riverside County, visited Burke’s Hollywood Hills home April 23, 2025. A photo of David Burke, also known as D4vd, is pictured at a Los Angeles news conference April 20, 2026. “A parent’s nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back,” Hochman said. “Celeste went to Burke’s house in the Hollywood Hills. She was never heard from again.” The special circumstances allegations, which can increase penalties at sentencing, include lying in wait, murder for financial gain and murdering a witnesses in an investigation, Hochman said. The financial gain allegation stemmed from the singer’s music career, which was being threatened by his alleged sexual relationship with the underage girl, Hochman said. Celeste was considered the key witness in that investigation, warranting the allegation of murdering a witness, he said. “As the evidence will show, the financial gain was for Mr. Burke to maintain a lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening that night,” Hochman said. Hochman said possible sentences, if Burke is convicted as charged, include life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. A decision will be made at a later date. Details about a cause of death were not available late Monday morning. Burke was arrested Thursday at a home near the Chateau Marmont, the legendary Hollywood hotel. He was booked into a jail in South Los Angeles with no bail several hours later and arraignment was expected Monday in downtown Los Angeles. Burke’s defense attorneys issued a statement after his arrest. “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,” attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said in a statement Thursday night after his arrest. “There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion.” Celeste, who disappeared in the Lake Elsinore area in 2024, was identified through forensics. She was last seen April 5, 2024, in the western Riverside County community. Celeste’s brother told NBCLA last year that family members, who still live in Lake Elsinore, were aware that the girl knew D4vd. Her decomposed body was found Sept. 8 after workers at Hollywood Tow reported a strong odor coming from the Tesla registered to the singer. Officers opened the front trunk, also known as a frunk, and found the remains in two cadaver bags, according to LA County grand jury documents made public following a hearing in Texas court. The grand jury documents, including subpoenas for the testimony of Burke’s mother, father, and brother, said Celeste’s remains were not intact. They were found a day after what would have been Celeste’s 15th birthday. Celeste Rivas Hernandez is pictured on a missing person poster. The Tesla was impounded by LA parking enforcement officers after someone reported it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors say it had been parked for more than a month. The “Romantic Homicide” singer’s world tour was in Minneapolis at the time of the discovery with a stop in Kansas City the next day. A representative told NBCLA at the time that D4vd was cooperating with authorities in their investigation. In November, an LAPD source with direct knowledge of the investigation told NBC4 Investigates that the Houston-raised artist has not been cooperative in the investigation. In February Burke’s parents and brother, who live in Texas, asked a judge to block LA grand jury subpoenas for their testimony, and the court there filed the grand jury documents in an open court file. The judge there declined to intervene, and it appeared the family members were compelled to come to Los Angeles and appear before the grand jury in February or March, but prosecutors declined to discuss what happened, citing the secrecy of grand jury proceedings prior to an indictment. D4vd had not previously been publicly identified as a suspect in the teen’s death, but law enforcement sources told NBC4 Investigates months prior that he was the focus of the investigation. Law enforcement sources also told NBC4 Investigates that more than one person may have been involved in Celeste’s death and the attempted disposal of her body. Citing the ongoing investigation, the LA County Department of Medical Examiner removed public information about the case last November, which indicated at the time that Celeste’s cause of death was still undetermined. D4vd is a singer-songwriter who rose to fame with viral hits on TikTok, where he has 3.8 million followers. That success led to signings with Darkroom and Interscope Records. Born in Queens, New York, Burke moved to Texas in his early teens and gained a following on YouTube playing Fortnite and other online games. He started creating original music, some of which went viral on TikTok. D4vd released his debut album “Withered” in April 2025 and embarked on a world tour. In an interview on the “Zach Sang Show,” D4vd said the 4 substituted for the a in his name was for search-engine optimization and a representation of four cinematic universes with various characters that he was creating. ...read more read less