D4vd killed Celeste Rivas Hernandez to "silence" her, prosecutors allege

The vocalist D4vd, who pleaded not guilty to first-degree execution charges successful the decease of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, allegedly stabbed the Inland Empire teen "before she ruined his euphony career," prosecutors wrote successful tribunal documents filed connected Wednesday.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman alleged D4vd, whose existent sanction is David Anthony Burke, killed Hernandez successful 2025 aft she threatened to exposure his transgression conduct. 

Nearly a twelvemonth aft her death, Burke was arrested and charged with first-degree execution with peculiar circumstances, lewd and lascivious acts with an idiosyncratic nether 14 and mutilating a body. The charges are successful transportation with Hernandez's 2025 death. Prosecutors alleged that Burke and the Lake Elsinore teen were romantically involved.

In a tribunal papers filed connected Wednesday, prosecutors said that Burke paid for a ride-share operator to driblet Hernandez disconnected astatine his Hollywood Hills location connected April 23, 2025. 

Booking photograph of David Burke, known arsenic d4vd, aft his apprehension connected execution charges. Los Angeles Police Department

"Knowing helium had to soundlessness the unfortunate earlier she ruined his euphony vocation arsenic she had threatened, precise soon aft her accomplishment astatine his home, suspect stabbed the unfortunate to decease aggregate times portion she bled out," prosecutors wrote. 

Prosecutors claimed Burke tried to screen up the sidesplitting by texting and calling Hernandez, asking her wherever she was, adjacent though she was already dead. 

The District Attorney's Office besides said Burke, nether a fake name, purchased a shovel, assemblage bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, 2 chainsaws, a bluish inflatable excavation and a pain cage. All of the items were ordered connected Amazon oregon Postmates and delivered to his home, according to prosecutors. 

Prosecutors added that the pain cage was portion of Burke's alleged "plan to incinerate evidence." He utilized the "blue inflatable excavation to forestall her humor from spilling onto his store floor" portion she was dismembered, the DA's Office wrote successful the tribunal filing. 

Burke and his attorneys person denied each allegations.

"Let america beryllium wide — the existent grounds successful this lawsuit volition amusement that David Burke did not execution Celeste Rivas Hernandez and helium was not the origin of her death," Burke's attorneys said successful a connection past week. "There has been nary indictment returned by immoderate expansive assemblage successful this lawsuit and nary transgression ailment filed. David has lone been detained nether suspicion. We volition vigorously support David's innocence."

A Los Angeles County justice connected Wednesday acceptable the day for the 21-year-old's preliminary proceeding for May 26. Burke could besides look successful a presumption proceeding connected May 12, but that's yet to beryllium confirmed.

Burke uttered conscionable 2 words – "yes, ma'am," – during the little proceeding successful effect to the justice asking if helium agreed to the caller date. Prosecutors expressed displeasure with the decision, adding that they'd already cleared their schedules for the archetypal May 1 date.

Medical examiners determined that Hernandez was killed with "multiple penetrating wounds" successful April 2025, respective months earlier her dismembered, decomposing assemblage was recovered successful the beforehand trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke.

"For respective weeks, oregon perchance months, suspect near the victim's assemblage to decompose wrong his Tesla," prosecutors wrote successful Wednesday's filing. "He lied to friends, concern associates, and others who noticed the beardown odor of decay successful and astir his location and vehicle."

Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Rivas Hernandez Family

During a tribunal appearance past week, prosecutors claimed that Burke possessed a "significant magnitude of kid pornography." The attorneys representing the Rivas Hernandez household declined to remark connected the development.

"Celeste was conscionable a child, nether 14 years old, erstwhile David Burke allegedly engaged successful repeated lewd and lascivious intersexual relations with her," Hochman said successful a quality merchandise announcing the charges earlier this month. "But Burke's actions did not allegedly halt there. When she threatened to exposure his transgression behaviour and devastate his philharmonic career, Burke allegedly murdered her, chopped up her assemblage and stuffed her assemblage successful 2 bags that were placed successful the beforehand trunk of his car."

The execution charges included peculiar circumstances — lying successful wait, committing the transgression for fiscal summation and murdering the witnesser successful an investigation. If convicted arsenic charged, Hochman said that Burke could look the maximum condemnation of beingness without the anticipation of parole oregon the decease penalty. 

Attorney Patrick Steinfeld wrote successful a connection connected Thursday that helium "had the heartbreaking work of informing the Rivas Hernandez household of the horrifying allegations submitted successful tribunal yesterday."

He said helium had primitively encouraged the Rivas Hernandez household to talk publically passim the transgression process.

"However, successful airy of the gruesome details emerging astir daily, the household has decided not to marque immoderate statements present oregon successful the future," Steinfeld wrote.

"There are nary words to explicit the indescribable symptom the household is experiencing close now. They inactive person bills to wage and jobs they spell to each day. All they privation is clip to grieve and heal. Please assistance the Rivas Hernandez household grace and compassion."