D4vd Arrested: Singer David Anthony Burke, 21, Held Without Bail by LAPD in Connection with Murder of 14-Year-Old Celeste Rivas Hernandez — Full Case Timeline and Update

The Los Angeles Police Department announced on Thursday, April 16, 2026, that David Anthony Burke — known professionally as d4vd — has been arrested in connection with the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl from Lake Elsinore, California, whose dismembered remains were discovered inside a Tesla registered to the singer in September 2025. Burke, 21, is being held without bail. The case is expected to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office for filing consideration. The arrest brings a painful chapter closer to a legal reckoning — seven months after the discovery of Rivas Hernandez's remains shocked the music world and the nation.

The case against Burke is based on evidence and probable cause that was developed over the course of the LAPD investigation, according to sources cited by ABC News. Crucially, as those same sources and the LAPD have emphasized, the arrest itself is not an indictment — formal charges have not yet been filed, and the District Attorney's office will now review the evidence to decide what charges, if any, to file. Under the United States legal system, Burke is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But the arrest marks a significant escalation in a case that has gripped the public since autumn 2025, when the identity of the victim was confirmed and her connection to the young singer came into sharp focus.

For millions of fans who discovered d4vd through viral TikTok hits and who followed his rapid ascent from a teenager recording songs in his sister's closet to a signed Interscope/Darkroom artist performing at Coachella, the news is both stunning and deeply unsettling. The story of Celeste Rivas Hernandez — a teenager who was last seen alive in April 2024 and whose mother waited more than a year before her daughter's fate was confirmed — is a reminder that behind every viral news story is a human being whose life was cut tragically short. This article presents a complete, factual and chronological account of everything that is publicly known about d4vd, the case, and the arrest — drawing only from verified reporting by major news organizations.

I — Who Is D4vd? Biography of David Anthony Burke Before the Arrest

To understand the full scope of this story, it is important to know who David Anthony Burke was before April 16, 2026 — his origins, his music career, and the trajectory that took him from a bedroom producer to an international recording artist.

Early Life: Queens, Houston, and a Gospel Childhood

David Anthony Burke was born on March 28, 2005, in Queens, New York City. His family later moved to Houston, Texas. He was homeschooled from seventh grade onward, which shaped his worldview and influenced his songwriting. Burke grew up in a Christian household, exclusively listening to gospel music until he was 13 years old. It was only in his early teens that he began discovering other genres — first hip-hop and then, through a chance encounter with a Fortnite gaming video online, the indie music world that would ultimately define his sound. Until he was 13, he solely listened to gospel music. As a child, he played the piano and sang in a church choir. This background in gospel and church music, combined with the self-taught indie production aesthetic he later developed, gave his songs a quality that listeners found simultaneously raw and emotionally resonant — qualities that would prove central to his viral appeal.

The Fortnite-to-Music Pipeline: A Career Born from Copyright Avoidance

The origin story of d4vd's music career is, by any measure, unusual. Burke began creating music at his mother's suggestion to avoid YouTube copyright strikes on his Fortnite gameplay montages. He was uploading videos of himself playing the popular video game Fortnite, and the background music kept triggering copyright claims. His mother's practical suggestion — make your own music — set in motion a chain of events that would turn a teenager in Houston into a globally recognized recording artist. Armed with just an iPhone and a pair of earphones, he recorded his first song, "Run Away," in his sister's walk-in closet. This makeshift studio would later become the birthplace of some of his biggest hits. The majority of his early songs were produced using BandLab, a free music production application — a testament to how democratic digital music creation has become in the 2020s, allowing a talented teenager without professional equipment or industry connections to produce chart-worthy music from a closet in Houston.

The Stage Name: A Deliberate SEO Choice

Even the choice of his stage name was calculated. He chose the stage name "d4vd" partially to increase his search engine optimization. By using the number 4 in place of the letter "a" in "David," he created a distinctive spelling that would stand out in search results and be immediately recognizable on streaming platforms and social media. The name is pronounced exactly as it looks: "David." This small detail — a teenager thinking strategically about search engine visibility before his career even began — says something about the generation of artists who grew up entirely online and understood intuitively that discoverability was as important as talent in the streaming era.

II — D4vd's Music Career: From TikTok Viral to Interscope Records

The arc of d4vd's music career, from his first SoundCloud uploads in 2021 to his debut studio album in 2025, is one of the most remarkable stories in the recent history of DIY artist success.

"Romantic Homicide" and "Here with Me": The Viral Breakthrough of 2022

In 2022, he released the singles "Romantic Homicide" and "Here with Me", which gained popularity on TikTok and led to him signing a record deal with Darkroom and Interscope Records. "Romantic Homicide," released on July 20, 2022, became the song that put d4vd on the map. "Romantic Homicide" charted at No. 3 on the Hot Alternative Songs chart and appeared at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking his first entry on the chart. The song's haunting melody, lo-fi aesthetic and emotionally loaded lyrics — dealing with themes of a destructive relationship — resonated deeply with a generation raised on TikTok's algorithm-driven emotional content cycles. His most streamed track is Romantic Homicide, with over 1.7 billion streams on Spotify. "Here with Me" followed in September 2022 and performed equally impressively, charting at No. 4 on the Hot Alternative Songs chart and reaching the top 10 in Singapore. The song's success prompted Darkroom and Interscope Records to sign Burke in September 2022.

EPs, Collaborations, and Growing Mainstream Recognition (2023–2024)

Burke released his debut EP, Petals to Thorns, on May 26, 2023, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. His second EP, The Lost Petals, was released on September 8 as an extension of the former. These projects expanded his artistic palette and demonstrated that "Romantic Homicide" was not a one-off fluke but the beginning of a cohesive creative vision. In July 2023, he was featured on "Superbloodmoon," a single from Holly Humberstone's debut album. Burke performed as an opening act for SZA's SOS Tour. Supporting SZA — one of the most successful artists in contemporary R&B — in front of her vast fanbase was a significant career milestone that exposed d4vd to an enormous new audience. In March, Burke released the single "Feel It" for the soundtrack of Amazon Prime Video's television series Invincible. He also performed "Remember Me," featured on the soundtrack for the second season of the animated series Arcane, further cementing his crossover appeal. His third single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, "Feel It," demonstrated that his commercial appeal was not limited to the alternative charts.

Withered: The Debut Album and Coachella (2025)

His debut studio album, Withered, was released in April 2025. The album, which featured five new singles including "One More Dance," a collaboration with Kali Uchis titled "Crashing," and "What Are You Waiting For," represented d4vd's most ambitious and sonically developed work to date. A showcase for the album took place at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Philippines — a sign of his substantial fanbase in Southeast Asia. He made his Coachella debut in April 2025. The Withered tour then commenced in August 2025, taking him across North America. It was during this tour, in September 2025, that the events that would ultimately lead to his April 2026 arrest began to unfold publicly.

III — The Discovery: September 8, 2025 — Remains Found in a Tesla in Hollywood

The sequence of events that led to d4vd's arrest began with a routine call to an impound lot in Hollywood.

The Discovery at the Impound Lot

Officers responded to an impound lot in Hollywood on Sept. 8 "for a foul odor coming from a vehicle," Los Angeles police said. What they found when they opened the front trunk of the impounded Tesla would become one of the most disturbing discoveries in a Los Angeles crime story in years. The body was heavily decomposed, dismembered into several pieces and wrapped inside a plastic bag in the car's front trunk. The body had been inside of the vehicle for an "extended" period of time. The car had been towed to the impound lot after being abandoned in the Hollywood Hills; the car had been parked there for at least a month. The Tesla was registered under the name of David Anthony Burke — d4vd — in Hempstead, Texas. According to TMZ, the car was not previously reported stolen.

The Identification: Celeste Rivas Hernandez

On September 16, the local medical examiner publicly identified the body as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, a girl who went missing on April 5, 2024, when she was 13 years old. The identification confirmed what investigators had been piecing together. Rivas Hernandez was from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County. Hernandez's mother, based in Lake Elsinore, previously reported her daughter missing in 2024, noting she had a boyfriend named David, with whom she was last seen going to a movie. The victim had been missing for over a year before her remains were found. The teen may have been dead for several weeks before her body was discovered. The process of determining her precise cause and manner of death was complicated by the advanced decomposition of the remains. According to sources at the time, the girl's body was dismembered, and the process of dismembering and disposing of her body is believed to have likely involved more than one person.

The Tattoo Connection and Social Media Speculation

The singer and Rivas Hernandez shared matching "Sshhhh" tattoos on their right index fingers, drawing speculation across social media that d4vd may have been involved in the teen's death. This detail, reported by TMZ in September 2025, sent the story viral across social media platforms where millions of d4vd fans and true-crime communities began piecing together what the matching tattoos suggested about their relationship. According to a 2025 report from TMZ, d4vd's friends thought Rivas Hernandez was a 19-year-old student at USC because she was spotted at multiple age-restricted events.

D4vd's Response and the Collapse of His Tour

When the story broke on September 8, 2025, d4vd was on his Withered tour. His representative stated he was fully cooperating with police. He performed his scheduled show in Minneapolis on September 8 — the same day the body was discovered — before the identification was made. Following the identification, the remaining tour dates and the deluxe edition release of Withered were canceled. The deluxe edition of Withered, subtitled Marcescence, which had been scheduled for September 19, was shelved indefinitely. Interscope suspended all promotional activity for Burke. Brand partners Crocs and Hollister removed all promotional content featuring the singer within days of the identification.

IV — The Investigation: Seven Months Between Discovery and Arrest

The seven months between September 2025 and April 2026 were defined by a sustained LAPD investigation that ultimately produced the evidence and probable cause for Burke's arrest.

What Investigators Were Building

While the public timeline of the investigation is not fully known, several details emerged in the months following the September 2025 discovery. The LAPD's Homicide Special Section — the unit that handles the most complex murder investigations in Los Angeles — took charge of the case. Sources told ABC News the arrest is based on evidence and probable cause that was developed. Investigators had to contend with a highly unusual crime scene: the remains had been in the vehicle for an extended period, significantly complicating forensic analysis. The apparent involvement of more than one person in the dismemberment also meant that investigators needed to build a case that accounted for multiple potential suspects. The matching tattoos, the established connection between Burke and Rivas Hernandez through her mother's missing persons report, and other evidence gathered over seven months formed the basis of the arrest.

Digital Evidence and the Discord Screenshots

In the weeks after the story broke in September 2025, additional contextual information emerged from online communities. Screenshots from a Discord server dating back to October 2022 resurfaced online, showing what were purported to be messages between David Burke, then 17, and someone identified as Celeste, who would have been approximately 12 at the time. An unreleased song that Burke allegedly wrote in December 2023 was also leaked, reportedly addressed to a girl named Celeste. The LAPD's investigation would have encompassed this digital trail as part of building its case. None of these details constituted formal legal evidence until prosecutors evaluate them — but they formed the backdrop against which the public followed the case throughout the investigation period.

V — The Arrest: April 16, 2026

Seven months after the discovery of Celeste Rivas Hernandez's remains, the LAPD made its move.

The LAPD Announcement

The Los Angeles Police Department announced on social media on Thursday, April 16 that the singer, whose real name is David Burke, has been arrested. Los Angeles Police Department said the artist known as D4vd, 21, is being held without bail after Hernandez's remains were found on Sept. 8 in the front trunk of the vehicle registered to Burke, which had been parked in the Hollywood Hills for weeks before it was towed. The LAPD specified that Burke is being held without bail — a designation that reflects the severity of the charges being considered and the potential flight risk assessed by investigators. LAPD said the case will be presented to the District Attorney's office on Monday for filing consideration. That means the District Attorney's office will review all evidence gathered by LAPD detectives and decide what specific charges, if any, to formally file against Burke.

Important Legal Distinctions

Several important legal points bear emphasis as this case moves forward. The arrest itself — regardless of the evidence that prompted it — is not a conviction. Under the United States Constitution's Sixth Amendment and the principle of presumption of innocence that underlies the American legal system, David Burke is presumed innocent of all charges until proven guilty in a court of law. Sources told ABC News the arrest is based on evidence and probable cause that was developed. It was not an indictment. An arrest requires probable cause — a reasonable belief, based on objective facts, that the person committed the crime. A conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt in front of a jury or judge. These are different legal standards, and the case now moves to the District Attorney's office where prosecutors will decide the formal charging path.

VI — Celeste Rivas Hernandez: Remembering the Victim

In the flood of coverage about d4vd's music career and arrest, it is essential that Celeste Rivas Hernandez be remembered not as a detail in a celebrity crime story but as the young person at the center of this tragedy.

A Young Life Cut Short

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 13 years old when she disappeared on April 5, 2024. She was from Lake Elsinore, a community in Riverside County east of Los Angeles. Her mother reported her missing and provided investigators with the information about a boyfriend named David. For over a year, her family did not know what had happened to her — a period of devastating uncertainty that no family should have to endure. When the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed her identification on September 16, 2025, it brought the answer her family had dreaded. Her family opened a GoFundMe campaign after the identification to raise funds to properly lay her to rest. Celeste Rivas Hernandez deserves to be remembered by her name, her age, and her life — not merely as an element in a case involving a music figure.

FAQ — Most Asked Questions About D4vd and the Case

Q1: Did d4vd get arrested?

Yes. Singer d4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested by the LAPD on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in connection with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. He is being held without bail. The case is being presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office for filing consideration. The arrest is based on evidence and probable cause developed during the investigation — it was not an indictment. Burke is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Q2: How old is d4vd?

D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was born on March 28, 2005, in Queens, New York City. He is 21 years old as of April 2026. He rose to fame in 2022 with the viral TikTok hit "Romantic Homicide."

Q3: Who is Celeste Rivas Hernandez?

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was a 14-year-old girl from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, California. She was reported missing by her mother on April 5, 2024, when she was 13 years old. Her dismembered remains were discovered on September 8, 2025, inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to singer David Burke (d4vd). She was identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on September 16, 2025.

Q4: What is d4vd's real name?

D4vd's real name is David Anthony Burke. The stage name "d4vd" is pronounced "David" — he chose the number 4 in place of the letter "a" partly for search engine optimization purposes, according to Wikipedia's account of his career.

Q5: What happens next in the d4vd case?

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office will review the evidence gathered by LAPD detectives and decide what specific charges to formally file. LAPD has indicated the case will be presented to the DA's office on Monday, April 20, 2026, for filing consideration. If the DA files charges, Burke will be arraigned in court. He is currently held without bail. The case is at an early stage — no charges have been formally filed and no indictment has been issued as of the date of his arrest.

Q6: What were d4vd's biggest songs before the arrest?

D4vd's biggest songs include "Romantic Homicide" (1.7 billion streams on Spotify, No. 3 on Hot Alternative Songs, No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Here with Me" (No. 4 on Hot Alternative Songs), "Feel It" (from the Amazon Prime series Invincible soundtrack), and "Crashing" (a collaboration with Kali Uchis). He released his debut studio album Withered in April 2025. Interscope Records suspended all promotion after September 2025.

Conclusion: A Case Still Unfolding, a Victim Who Must Not Be Forgotten

The arrest of David Anthony Burke on April 16, 2026, marks a critical turning point in a case that has held the public's attention since the terrible discovery in a Hollywood impound lot seven months ago. For the music world, it is a jarring reckoning with the fact that artistry and notoriety provide no shield against the consequences of alleged criminal acts. For the public, it is a reminder that the cycles of virality and celebrity that social media generates can obscure the human stakes at the center of real tragedies.

But the most important thing that must not be lost in the coverage of this case is this: at the heart of it is Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl from Riverside County who was last seen alive in April 2024 and who deserves to be remembered by her name, her family, and her life — not as a footnote in a celebrity crime story. Her mother waited over a year for an answer. She has now been given the most painful one possible. Justice for Celeste Rivas Hernandez is what this case is about.

This is a developing story. All details in this article are sourced from verified reporting by ABC News, Deadline Hollywood, FOX 11 Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles, and Wikipedia. Burke is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.