Los Angeles authorities have confirmed that singer D4vd has been taken into custody in connection with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas. The arrest was announced by the Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday.
In an official statement, the LAPD detailed the arrest, stating, “Detectives from our Robbery-Homicide Division have apprehended 21-year-old David Burke, a Los Angeles resident, for the murder of Celeste Rivas. Burke is currently being held without bail.”
The case is scheduled to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office on Monday for further proceedings.
The arrest of D4vd follows a significant development in the investigation, which began when Rivas’s remains were found in the front trunk of a Tesla. The vehicle, impounded at a Hollywood tow yard, was registered to D4vd, prompting further inquiry.
Court documents, which were unsealed earlier, had already identified D4vd as a suspect in the tragic case. Within these documents, petitions calling for his parents to testify before a Los Angeles County grand jury described D4vd as a “target” in Rivas’s death.
The petition specifically alleged that the “target may be involved in having committed the following criminal offenses: One Count of Murder,” thus underscoring the gravity of the charges he faces.
The grand jury investigation into D4vd began in mid-November. Jurors were presented evidence by prosecutors and relevant individuals were called testify, including D4vd’s managers and a friend of D4vd, Neo Langston.
Rivas’s family said she was last seen in the spring of 2024, when she left her Lake Elsinore home to see a movie with D4vd and never returned. She was 13 at the time.
Singer D4vd, 20, has been arrested for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, the Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed on Thursday
The 21-year-old singer’s arrest comes months after Rivas’s remains were discovered in the front trunk of a Tesla police say was registered to him
Pictured: An overhead shot of D4vd’s Tesla SUV, where police say Rivas’s body was discovered on September 8, 2025
Rivas’s remains were eventually discovered last September because the Tesla that allegedly belonged to D4vd was left on a public street for more than 72 hours, according to the LAPD.
Neighbors said the Tesla was moved several times over the preceding three months before it was left on Bluebird Avenue in the Hollywood Hills.
It was then impounded and taken to Hollywood Tow. Employees at the tow yard began to notice a stench coming from the vehicle and called police on September 8, 2025.
Rivas’s decomposing body was found in the Tesla by investigators, who said she had been dismembered.
She was found days after what would have been her 15th birthday, but police believe she likely died much earlier, possibly in spring 2025.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Rivas was wearing black leggings, a tube top, a yellow metal chain bracelet and stud earrings when she was found.
Based on testimony from friends and her family, it is believed Rivas was in a romantic relationship with D4vd.
Rivas’s mother, who reported her missing three different times throughout 2024, has said her daughter was dating a guy she never met named ‘David’.
After Rivas’s death, the lyrics of D4vd’s songs were the subject of much scrutiny due to their violent nature
It’s also been reported that the two shared matching ‘Sshhh’ tattoos on their right index fingers.
Friends of D4vd have told TMZ that the two were ‘frequently’ seen together. They also believed he and Rivas were romantically involved.
After Rivas’s death, the lyrics of D4vd’s songs were the subject of much scrutiny due to their violent nature.
In one of his most popular singles, ‘Romantic Homicide’, he sings about a romantic interest of his no longer being around.
‘In the back of my mind, I killed you… And I didn’t even regret it… I can’t believe I said it… But it’s true… I hate you,’ were the final words of the 2022 song.
