Singer D4vd was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder in connection with the case of a girl whose decomposing body was discovered inside his Tesla in Hollywood.
David Anthony Burke, 21, was taken into custody at a home in the Hollywood Hills, a law enforcement source who has knowledge of the investigation, but is not authorized to speak publicly, told The Times. He is being held without bail.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing in 2024 from the Inland Empire, according to authorities, but her whereabouts since then remained a mystery. Though her name was initially listed as Celeste Rivas with the county medical examiner’s office, it has since been updated with the Hernandez surname.
According to police, the girl’s severely decomposed body was found in the vehicle at Hollywood Tow on Sept. 8, 2025 after it was impounded. Someone noticed a foul odor coming from the vehicle and detectives arrived at the tow yard to investigate.
Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation, but not authorized to discuss the case publicly, told The Times the vehicle was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills five days before it was impounded.
Detectives served a search warrant at a home in that upscale neighborhood on Doheny Drive, north of Sunset Boulevard. Law enforcement sources with knowledge of the case but not authorized to speak publicly said the detective received various items, including electronics and computers.
Burke was raised in Houston and has collaborated with musicians Kali Uchis, Stray Kids’ Hyunjin, Laufey and 21 Savage. He also created an anthem for the game “Fortnite.”
Burke had been on a national tour promoting his debut album, “Withered,” since early August. He performed in Boston, Montreal and Toronto in late August and in early September had stops in Detroit, Chicago and Indianapolis. But the tour was canceled amid the investigation.
The Withered World Tour includes themes of death and remembrance. Fans entering Burke’s show are greeted by a casket and guest book, where they can pay condolences to a character Burke sometimes reprises in his performances and music videos. Part of that character’s uniform includes a shirt covered in bloody handprints and a blindfold.
“Withered” was released on Darkroom and Interscope Records in April. The album charted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and has more than 521 million streams on Spotify. On Sept. 7, in his last social media post, Burke announced on Instagram he was going to drop a deluxe version of the album. It was one of his last social media posts before Rivas’ body was discovered.
