1 month ago
The tragic lawsuit of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, nan teen recovered dormant successful nan trunk of a Tesla belonging to nan alt-pop vocalist D4vd, has gripped Los Angeles for much than half a year.
The decease of nan missing mediate schooler, and nan quality of her ties to nan up-and-coming musician, sparked extended media sum and speculation online. But speech from grim specifications released aft nan find of nan 14-year-old’s assemblage successful September, authorities successful LA said comparatively small astir their investigation.
Then this week came nan astir important improvement yet: constabulary equipped pinch rifles arrested D4vd, whose ineligible sanction is David Anthony Burke, connected Thursday day astatine a residence connected a tony Hollywood street.
“Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division person arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for nan execution of Celeste Rivas. Burke is being held without bail,” nan section announced successful a little statement.
The news was abrupt but not a astonishment to those who had been pursuing nan case, arsenic investigators had appeared to beryllium homing successful connected nan creator arsenic a superior fishy for months.
Back successful November, news outlets citing constabulary sources reported that Burke had been identified arsenic a suspect, and it emerged successful February that nan musician, known for viral songs specified arsenic Romantic Homicide and Here With Me, was nan target of a Los Angeles region expansive assemblage investigation.
The family of Rivas Hernandez had reported her missing from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, immoderate 70 miles (110km) from Los Angeles, successful 2024. The seventh grader had tally away, and later returned location earlier leaving again, constabulary person said.
On 8 September 2025, conscionable 1 time aft she would person turned 15, constabulary recovered her dismembered remains successful cadaver bags successful a seemingly abandoned Tesla Model Y that had been transported to a tow yard. The car was registered to Burke.
No origin of decease has been revealed yet, but nan aesculapian examiner’s agency antecedently said that nan assemblage was recovered severely decomposed and that Rivas Hernandez had astir apt been dormant for an extended period. Los Angeles constabulary requested that a judge forestall nan main aesculapian examiner, Dr Odey Ukpo, from releasing nan findings of nan autopsy. Ukpo said successful a connection astatine nan clip that nan believe is “virtually unheard” of successful different counties, while constabulary based on it was basal to support nan integrity of nan investigation.
The Los Angeles constabulary section said successful a connection that it plans to coming nan lawsuit to nan territory attorney’s agency for filing information connected Monday. Burke has not yet been charged successful nan case.
Burke’s attorneys, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, said their customer was innocent.
“There has been nary indictment returned by immoderate expansive assemblage successful this lawsuit and nary criminal title filed. David has only been detained nether suspicion,” nan lawyers said successful a statement. “The existent grounds successful this lawsuit will show that David Burke did not execution Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not nan origin of her death.”
According to nan Los Angeles Times, constabulary sources “indicate[d]” that nan teen had been surviving pinch Burke successful a rental location during nan clip her family reported her missing. Her brother, Matthew Rivas, has told NBCLA that nan family was alert she knew nan singer, and that earlier she went missing she went to spot a movie pinch Burke and did not return home.
Police searched Burke’s Hollywood residence soon aft nan assemblage was found, and officials convened a expansive assemblage successful nan lawsuit successful November. The expansive assemblage investigation into nan creator became nationalist knowledge earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile his parents and relative tried to conflict subpoenas demanding they testify. A friend of Burke’s, nan influencer Neo Langston, was arrested aft failing to look to attest earlier nan expansive jury.
Prior to nan case, Burke’s profession had been connected nan emergence – he had opened for SZA and collaborated pinch Kali Uchis. He was connected circuit erstwhile nan teen’s assemblage was discovered.
Relatively small is publically known astir Rivas Hernandez. Her parents are some from El Salvador, and she was calved successful California’s Riverside county. A GoFundMe for her family described nan teen arsenic a “beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend”. A missing-person poster for Rivas Hernandez noted she was past seen wearing Hello Kitty sandals.
The sidesplitting near her organization grieving nan teen who was remembered arsenic being “quiet” and “sweet”. A family friend told nan Los Angeles Times that Rivas Hernandez “was studious, a difficult worker and intelligent” and “deserves justice”.
