Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 1

D4vd Faces 31 August Arraignment in 14-Year-Old's Murder as Prosecutors Cite Secret Relationship

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 1

D4vd Faces 31 August Arraignment in 14-Year-Old's Murder as Prosecutors Cite Secret Relationship

Q: How did a dismembered body remain hidden inside an impounded Tesla for months without anyone noticing?

It likely was not hidden inside the impound lot for months. The reporting indicates the body had been in the Tesla for an extended period before the car was towed, and the car itself may have sat abandoned on a Hollywood Hills street for weeks or more before anyone acted. Authorities say Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s remains were found on Sept. 8, 2025, after tow-yard workers noticed a strong odor coming from the Tesla and called police. Multiple reports say the vehicle had been at the impound lot only about two days. Neighbors and law-enforcement sources said the Tesla had apparently been parked and abandoned near Burke’s home for more than a month before it was finally towed. The body was reportedly placed in bags inside the Tesla’s front trunk, not the passenger cabin. Prosecutors later alleged the remains were dismembered and heavily decomposed, which could have delayed immediate detection if the car stayed closed and unattended. Even so, workers did notice once the odor became obvious at the tow yard. So the more accurate answer is that the remains were allegedly concealed in the car before impoundment and went unnoticed while the vehicle sat abandoned outside, not because tow-yard staff overlooked them for months. What remains unclear publicly is why the car was not inspected earlier, whether anyone had approached it while it was parked on the street, and whether its sealed front trunk reduced the smell enough to postpone discovery until after towing.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 1

31 August is the arraignment date for D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, who is jailed without bail on murder, child sexual abuse and mutilation charges in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Prosecutors say Burke stabbed Celeste in April 2025 and dismembered her to stop her exposing their sexual relationship, which they say began in November 2023 when he was 18 and she was 13.
Recent preliminary-hearing evidence included texts showing Burke wanted the sexual relationship hidden, police had warned him in February 2024 that Celeste was underage, and the pair argued the night before her death over another woman and her threat to end his career.
Forensic testing found blood probably from Celeste in Burke's former residence, while defense lawyers challenged the homicide ruling and faulted investigators for not testing more items in a home shared by multiple people.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he will consult Celeste's family and Burke's lawyers before deciding whether to seek the death penalty; no trial date has been set.