LOS ANGELES (AP) – Seven months after the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in a towed SUV belonging to the alt-pop singer D4vd, authorities have arrested the singer on suspicion of her murder. David Burke, known professionally as D4vd, was taken into custody on Thursday by Los Angeles police as part of the ongoing investigation into Rivas Hernandez’s death.

Burke, now 21, was accused of murder, with police stating that they had not publicly identified him as a suspect prior to his arrest. The authorities plan to present their case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office by Monday. Burke’s legal team has maintained his innocence, emphasizing that he has not been formally charged with any crime.

The District Attorney's Office has acknowledged the arrest and indicated that its Major Crimes Division will examine the evidence to determine if it warrants filing charges. Burke’s defense attorneys—Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter—stressed that he has only been detained under suspicion, with no indictment issued and no criminal complaint filed against him at this time. In their statement, they asserted that the evidence will demonstrate Burke’s innocence, declaring, “David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death.”

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing by her family in 2024, when she was just 13 years old, from her home in Lake Elsinore, approximately 70 miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles. Her remains were discovered on September 8, shortly after she would have turned 15. Authorities state that she was 14 at the time of her death. Investigators found her body in a dismembered state inside a cadaver bag placed in a Tesla Model Y that was towed from an affluent neighborhood in Hollywood Hills. They reported that the bag was “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay,” leading to the grim identification of her partially disassembled remains.

As of now, the police have not publicly disclosed the cause of death. An investigation conducted in November restricted the release of the autopsy findings obtained by the coroner’s office.

D4vd gained significant popularity among Generation Z for his unique blend of indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop music. He shot to fame on TikTok in 2022 with his hit single “Romantic Homicide,” which reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. After signing with Darkroom and Interscope Records, he released his debut EP “Petals to Thorns” followed by “The Lost Petals” in 2023. He was touring in support of his first full-length album, “Withered,” when Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered, leading to the cancellation of his last two North American shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as an upcoming tour in Europe.

Recently, a grand jury investigation into Rivas Hernandez’s death had come to light. This probe targeted D4vd and became public only after Burke’s family filed an objection in a Texas court against subpoenas requiring their testimony. Legal documents revealed that the Tesla was registered in Burke’s name at his family’s Texas address, leading to further scrutiny. While the grand jury investigation's current status remains uncertain, Burke's attorneys emphasized that no indictment has been returned as of now.