Last week, David Anthony Burke, better known as the singer D4vd, was arrested on suspicion of murder. Now, he’s been formally charged.

Los Angeles prosecutors are expected to charge singer D4vd with murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in the trunk of a Tesla tied to the artist last year, according to NBC News.

The 21-year-old music artist also faces allegations tied to lewd acts with a minor and mutilation of a corpse, while prosecutors have described the case as first-degree murder with special circumstances.

The news was shared by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Monday, April 20, during a press conference.

People reports that due to the special circumstances, the charge carries a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. It’s not clear whether they will see the death penalty.

In September 2025, a worker at a Hollywood impound lot phoned police after noticing a foul odor coming from a vehicle. Officers responded to the call and discovered the decomposed remains of a teenage girl inside the front trunk of a Tesla that had been towed after sitting abandoned on Bluebird Avenue in the Hollywood Hills. 

The vehicle had been ticketed for a parking violation on August 28 and impounded two days later. According to NBC News, the medical examiner said it appeared the girl had been dead in the car for an extended period.

"The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared, and as detectives worked to uncover the truth, they also had to sift through and debunk a great deal of false information circulating publicly," said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.