The parents of a teenage girl whose dismembered body was found in the trunk of a Tesla owned by singer D4vd, who is now facing murder and other charges, broke their silence on Tuesday, thanking the community for its support and praising the teen as a “beautiful, strong girl.”
The 21-year-old singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Monday afternoon, and one of his attorneys entered a not guilty plea to the charges on his behalf.
Burke is accused of killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found Sept. 8, 2025, just days after what would have been her 15th birthday.
The criminal complaint alleges that the murder occurred on or about April 23, 2025.
Burke was also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under age 14 between Sept. 7, 2023, and Sept. 7, 2024, along with unlawful mutilation of human remain on or about May 5, 2025, as well as an allegation that he personally used a sharp instrument during the commission of the murder, according to the complaint.
Members of Celeste’s family were in court for Monday’s arraignment, but did not speak to the throng of reporters gathered for the hearing.
On Tuesday, Celeste’s parents released a statement through their attorney.
“We would like to thank the Los Angeles Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office for their hard work,” Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez said in their joint statement on April 21. “We would also like to thank the people of Lake Elsinore for all their support. Celeste was a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance. Every Friday night was movie night and we spent wonderful times together. We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us. We miss her deeply. All we want is justice for Celeste.”
The murder charge against D4vd includes the special circumstance allegations of lying in wait, murder for financial gain and killing a witness in a criminal investigation. The District Attorney’s Office is expected to decide later whether to seek the death penalty against Burke, who was ordered to remain jailed without bail while awaiting his next court appearance.
At a Monday news conference, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the lying in wait allegation stems from D4vd’s invitation to Celeste to come to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, after which she was never seen again, while the financial gain allegation stems from the singer’s effort to maintain his lucrative music career, which was being threatened by his alleged sexual relationship with the underage girl, Hochman said. Celeste was considered the key witness in that investigation, leading to the allegation of murdering a witness, he said.
“I want to look at this as a parent. I am a parent of three children,” Hochman said. “And a parent’s nightmare is a situation when your daughter goes out one night and never comes back. … On April 23, 2025, … Celeste, a 14-year-old at that time, went to Mr. Burke’s house in the Hollywood Hills. She was never heard from again. On Sept. 8, 2025, as alleged in the complaint, Celeste’s remains, her dismembered and decomposed remains were found inside two bags in side of a front trunk of a car registered to Mr. Burke.”
Singer D4vd charged with murder of Lake Elsinore teen whose body was found in Tesla