'Romantic Homicide' Singer D4vd Arrested in Chilling Case of Teen Found Dead in His Tesla
April 16 2026, Published 9:37 p.m. ET
“Romantic Homicide” singer D4vd has been arrested in connection with the disturbing death of a 14-year-old girl whose decomposing body was discovered inside a Tesla registered to the artist.
The 21-year-old musician — born David Anthony Burke — was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday, April 16, on suspicion of murder, according to multiple reports. He is currently being held without bail as prosecutors prepare to review the case.
The arrest marks a major development in a months-long investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a Southern California teen who was reported missing in 2024.
Her remains were not discovered until September 8, 2025, when authorities were called to a Hollywood tow yard after workers reported a strong odor coming from an impounded vehicle.
Inside the car — a Tesla registered to Burke — investigators found the girl’s body in an advanced state of decomposition.
The vehicle had reportedly been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills before being towed, where it sat for days before the grim discovery was made.
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Hernandez, who was just 13 when she first went missing, had been the subject of an extensive search before the case shifted into a homicide investigation.
Prior to his arrest, Burke had already been identified in court documents as the target of a grand jury probe into the teen’s death, though he had not been formally charged at the time.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive, and it remains unclear what relationship, if any, existed between the singer and the victim.
The case is expected to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in the coming days as investigators continue to piece together what led to the teen’s death.
