Authorities have arrested 21-year-old singer D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, in connection with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas. The arrest occurred at a Hollywood Hills rental property previously owned by actress Sandra Bullock, located in a neighborhood near late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s residence.
The Grisly Discovery
Rivas’s decomposed remains were found last September in the front trunk of a Tesla SUV registered to Burke’s Texas address. The vehicle had been impounded at a Hollywood tow yard after sitting on a public street for over 72 hours. Tow yard employees noticed a foul odor and alerted police on September 8, 2025.
Investigators discovered the girl had been dismembered, with her head and torso inside a cadaver bag. The Los Angeles County medical examiner noted the remains were severely decomposed, indicating she had been dead for an extended period. Rivas was wearing black leggings, a tube top, a yellow metal chain bracelet, and stud earrings at the time. She was found shortly after what would have been her 15th birthday, though her death likely occurred earlier.
Neighbors reported the Tesla had been moved multiple times in the preceding months before being abandoned on Bluebird Avenue in the Hollywood Hills.
Celebrity Connections Emerge
Burke was apprehended at a four-bedroom Hollywood Hills bungalow once owned by Sandra Bullock. She purchased the 1942-built property for $1.48 million in 2001 and sold it for $2.9 million in 2018. At the time of the arrest, it was listed for rent at $17,500 per month.
During the search, police closed the road to the property, but allowed local residents access. Jimmy Kimmel, who lives on the same block, drove through the roadblock around 8 p.m. while heading home.
Relationship and Investigation Details
Court documents unsealed in February identified Burke as a suspect. Testimony from Rivas’s friends and family suggests the pair were in a romantic relationship. They shared matching ‘Sshhh’ tattoos on their right index fingers, and friends confirmed seeing them together frequently.
Rivas’s mother reported her missing three times in 2024, noting she had run away before. The teen was last seen leaving her Lake Elsinore home at age 13 in spring 2024.
A grand jury investigation began in mid-November, with prosecutors presenting evidence. Petitions sought testimony from Burke’s parents, managers, and friend Neo Langston. In September, police executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills home linked to Burke, seizing a computer.
Burke’s lyrics have drawn attention, particularly from his 2022 hit ‘Romantic Homicide,’ where he sings, ‘In the back of my mind, I killed you… And I didn’t even regret it… I can’t believe I said it… But it’s true… I hate you.’
Legal Response and Next Steps
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division announced: ‘Detectives have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old Los Angeles resident, for the murder of Celeste Rivas. Burke is held without bail.’
Burke’s legal team stated: ‘There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.’
The case heads to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office on Monday. Burke gained fame in 2022 via viral TikTok tracks and collaborations with artists like SZA and Kali Uchis. His tour was canceled following the body’s discovery.
