D4vd arrest updates: Singer could face death penalty after being charged with murder and sex crimes for teen’s death

Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, was found dismembered in the trunk of the singer's Tesla in September
Singer d4vd has been formally charged with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were found in the trunk of the musician’s abandoned Tesla , prosecutors said Monday.

The 21-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested Thursday in the Hollywood Hills , seven months after the teen’s body was found.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday that Burke is charged with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14, and mutilating a body in the killing of Rivas Hernandez.

Hochman noted the murder charges included special circumstances — lying in wait, committing crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation — that could carry the death penalty .

”I am a parent of three children, and a parent's nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back, as we will show in a court of law,” Hochman said Monday.

D4vd, pronounced “David,” gained popularity among Gen-Z fans for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop.

He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit “Romantic Homicide,” which peaked at No.

4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

Possible bomb threat at courthouse
The Los Angeles courthouse set to hold D4vd’s arraignment faces a bomb threat, according to the Los Angeles Times .

Authorities are investigating the “possible bomb threat,” and the building has not been evacuated.

It’s unclear if there is a connection between the possible threat and the arraignment.

Defense attorneys say they are prepared to ‘vigorously defend David’s innocence’
“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,” the statement said.

“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.

We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was in a sexual relationship with d4vd, police say
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Monday that investigators learned Celeste Rivas Hernandez was involved in a sexual relationship with d4vd.

Officials have said it appeared she had been dead for an extended period before she was found given the state of her remains.

“The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared, and as detectives worked to uncover the truth, they also had to sift through and debunk a great deal of false information circulating publicly,” McDonnell said.

Her cause of death was not made public.

The singer has been charged with first-degree murder; lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14; and mutilating a body in the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

The murder charges included special circumstances — lying in wait, committing crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation — that could carry the death penalty.

Hochman said d4vd murdered the 14-year-old to maintain his musical career and “that Celeste was threatening on that particular night.”
He explained the three sets of charges – one of which is murdering a witness to an investigation.

Evidence to be shown in court shows Celeste was a witness into an investigation of sexual acts committed by d4vd.

Hochman described the crime as a “brutal and horrific murder.”
"A parent's nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back," he says.

Hochman said the DA’s office could eventually seek the death penalty in the case.

D4vd officially charged with murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
D4vd is officially charged with murder, sexually abusing a child and mutilating a body in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez
The mugshot of singer d4vd was revealed at the presser Monday
Press conference on d4vd is now starting
The press conference on the arrest and possible charges of singer d4vd has started.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is expected to announce charges today against the singer for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez whose body was found in the trunk of a Tesla owned by the musician.

D4vd was arrested last week and is currently being held without bail.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez's family expected to be at presser
Celeste 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.