THE sudden arrest of rising singer D4vd — seven months after his alleged teen girlfriend was found dismembered in the trunk of his car — may have been delayed amid a calculated move to fracture his inner circle.

Musician D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is suspected of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez last year.

6
Singer D4vd performs during the Coachella Music Festival on April 18, 2025, in Indio, CaliforniaCredit: Alamy
 

6
Celeste Rivas had been missing for several months after running away from home when she was found deadCredit: Family Handout
 

6
D4vd was taken out of his home in handcuffs, surrounded by officers from the LAPD, after he was arrested ThursdayCredit: Obtained by the California Post
The 21-year-old was taken into custody in Hollywood shortly after 4.30pm on Thursday after months of keeping a low profile.

Armed police armed with guns and ballistic shields swarmed his rental home and he was seen being led away in handcuffs in images obtained by the California Post.

Although charges are yet to be filed, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office told The U.S. Sun that the case is expected to be presented to the Major Crimes Division.

Prosecutors will then review the facts and evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to file charges.

Chilling new details in death of Celeste Rivas as D4vd investigated for MURDER

Legal experts in Los Angeles say Celeste’s tragic death has been a “dark cloud hanging over the city” as a grand jury was convened and spent months trying to gather evidence and lock in testimony.

The full witness list was not made public – as grand jury proceedings in California are sealed – but reports alleged D4vd’s friends and associates had been interviewed.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, president of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers, said the long delay for justice has understandably drawn criticism.

“Some of the criticism about the delay is warranted. Celeste was found dismembered seven months ago,” he claimed.

Women risk jail for bikinis or going braless under ‘indecent exposure’ bill

“Obviously, we want LAPD to get it right, but her tragic death has been a dark cloud hanging over the city.”

He stressed that confusion around the legal process has fueled misplaced expectations and that the grand jury coud not decide charges.

“People asking why the grand jury didn’t return an indictment don’t understand how criminal cases work in California state court,” he said.

“There was an investigative grand jury, not a charging grand jury. Grand juries are used to charge defendants in federal cases in California, not state cases.”

Instead, Rahmani said the grand jury may have been used to apply pressure — particularly on those in D4vd’s inner circle.

“Beth Silverman [Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney] and the DA’s Office want to flip members of D4vd’s inner circle to cooperate against the singer,” he claimed.

“That is why they convened a grand jury – to question members of his entourage under penalty of perjury.

“By locking in their testimony, they won’t be able to change their story or otherwise go sideways at trial.”

That theory is supported by developments earlier in the case, including the arrest of at least one associate who failed to appear before a grand jury, as investigators sought to compel testimony from people close to the singer.

Rahmani said those insiders could now be crucial.

“The defense is likely going to argue that Celeste died accidently, maybe of an overdose or some other reason, and they panicked and disposed of her body,” he said. “That’s still a crime, but it’s not murder.

“The prosecution will have to prove that D4vd killed Celeste and they’ll do so using video evidence from the home and Tesla, digital evidence from their cell phones and laptops, and witness testimony.”

Criminal defense attorney RJ Dreiling, a former Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, said the disturbing facts of the case explain why it has taken so long to reach this point.

“When we have a body decomposing in a car with no clear suspects at the beginning, it can take a long time for investigators to piece things together with forensic evidence and interviews,” he said.

“It’s not like a typical murder case where there’s a shooting or a stabbing, where the police arrive and arrest someone.”

He added that the timing of the arrest itself could reflect mounting pressure behind the scenes.

“The fact that the D.A. said they need time to review the evidence and decide about whether to file charges suggests the police might have wanted to force the D.A.’s office to make a decision about whether or not to file charges.

“It could also be the police thought they needed to move quickly because of a flight risk, or they may have found new, compelling evidence.”

6
D4vd’s Tesla was found in a tow yard in HollywoodCredit: KABC
 

6
The 21-year-old singer has been under investigation ever since the remains of Celeste Rivas Hernandez were found in SeptemberCredit: Family Handout
Celeste’s body was discovered in the singer’s Tesla in September 2025 after the vehicle — abandoned in the Hollywood Hills — was towed to an impound lot, where a strong odor led workers to the remains.

The teenager, who was from Lake Elsinore, in Riverside County, a hour from Los Angeles, had been missing since April 2024, and investigators believe she may have been dead for an extended period before her body was found.

It is not known when or how Rivas and D4vd first connected, but they are believed to have been hanging out when she was at least 13 and had run away to be with him on several occasions.

D4vd has never commented on Celeste’s death but his lawyers released a statement asserting his innocence, stating that “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.”

D4vd, who has now been dropped by his record labels, is currently being held without bail, with prosecutors expected to decide in the coming days whether to formally charge him.

“Over the weekend, there will be conversations between the highest levels of the DA’s office and the police department about whether charges are going to happen,” Dreiling said,

“If they charge D4vd, he will appear before a judge for a bail hearing.

“Bail for a murder is $2 million. If prosecutors ask for no bail, they will need to present evidence that he is a flight risk or that he could cause harm to the public.”

But Dreiling warned that even with an arrest, the case remains far from straightforward.

“They will have to tie D4vd to the crime. The main issue they have above everything else is proving it was a homicide, not accidental death, and they must prove D4vd is the one who did it.”

He also pointed to signs of friction between agencies — including disputes over releasing autopsy findings — that may have slowed the investigation.

“In a case like this where the facts and circumstances are so unusual from the outset and there’s a lot of investigative work, sometimes tensions emerge between different parts of the investigative team and different agencies, which here includes the LAPD, the medical examiner’s office and the D.A.’s office.

“We’ve seen some indication with that already with the LAPD going to court to prevent the medical examiner from releasing information about the case.

“In the coming days, we’ll see if the D.A.’s office and police were working in lockstep, or if the LAPD was trying to force the hand of prosecutors.”

With key details — including Celeste’s exact cause of death — still under seal, the case may ultimately hinge on what those closest to D4vd are willing to say.

“Given the length of time that has elapsed between the death and the arrest, prosecutors and the defense will have a lot to argue over, if this case even gets charged.

“I expect the defense will say D4vd wasn’t involved and argue there isn’t even enough proof this was a murder.

“And those could be very winning arguments, especially if the forensic evidence and the witness statements don’t line up.”