US singer D4vd has been arrested on suspicion of killing a teenage girl, police have said.
The 21-year-old, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is alleged to be connected to the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, whose remains were discovered in September in a vehicle linked to him.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Thursday that Burke had been taken into custody and is being held without bail.
The case is expected to be presented to the District Attorney’s office in the coming days.
Lawyers for the Houston-born alt-pop singer have declared his innocence.
Defence lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said: “Let us be clear - 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.”
Investigators had been examining the case since September 8, when the teenager’s remains were found in a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard after reports of a strong odour.
Court documents state that her body, which was “severely decomposed”, was discovered in the vehicle’s front compartment.
Officials believe she may have been dead for several weeks before the discovery.
A cause of death has not yet been confirmed, with authorities previously describing the case only as a death investigation.
A judge ordered the teen’s records to be sealed in November while inquiries continued.
Rivas Hernandez, who lived around 75 miles from where her body was found, had been reported missing by her family in April 2024.
The case has drawn significant attention online in recent months, with speculation growing around any potential link to the singer.
Further details of the case have emerged through court filings after members of the singer’s family were summoned from Texas to appear before a California grand jury.
When his father, Dawud Burke, challenged the summons in a Texas court, documents relating to the investigation, previously not made public, were disclosed.
According to those filings, Burke had been identified as a “target” of a Los Angeles grand jury inquiry and could face proceedings on a murder charge.
The documents also outlined details surrounding the discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s body, noting she was found wearing a tube top, black leggings and jewellery, including a stud earring and chain bracelet.
She also had a tattoo reading “Shhh…” on her index finger, similar to one the singer is known to have.
In the weeks following the discovery, the artist scrapped his world tour, including two London Roundhouse dates in October.
The singer had been due to perform at the Chalk Farm venue on 20 and 21 October as part of his Withered 2025 World Tour and subsequently stepped back from public life.
Police previously confirmed they had searched the Hollywood Hills property where he had been staying, close to where the vehicle was recovered.
He was subsequently dropped from commercial partnerships with brands including Hollister and Crocs, while singer Kali Uchis confirmed she would remove their collaboration, Crashing.
