Singer Arrested After Teen’s Body Found in His Tesla
The remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were found in the trunk of the car in September 2025.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
A rising music star has been arrested on suspicion of murder, months after a teenager’s dismembered body was found in the trunk of his Tesla. David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, was taken into custody by heavily armed LAPD officers at his Hollywood Hills home on Thursday, sources told Rolling Stone. Detectives had obtained a probable-cause warrant and arrested Burke shortly after 4:30 p.m. The victim, 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, was found in September 2025 after a tow yard called police, reporting that an impounded 2023 Tesla Model Y was “emanating a foul odor and attracting flies.” Burke was on a national tour when the vehicle was towed. Court documents revealed detectives opened the trunk to find Rivas’s decomposed head and torso inside a black cadaver bag “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay,” with her severed arms and legs in a second bag. Burke’s defense lawyers issued this statement on behalf of their client: “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,” they said. “David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.