D4VD CHARGED WITH MURDER IN DEATH OF TEEN CELESTE RIVAS HERNANDEZ, WHOSE REMAINS WERE FOUND IN SINGER’S VEHICLE, AUTHORITIES SAY. (PHOTO).

 D4vd charged with murder in death of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found in singer’s vehicle, authorities say

Recording artist D4vd has been formally charged with murder in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a teenager whose decomposed remains were discovered last September inside a vehicle registered to the singer, authorities said.

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested last week by Los Angeles police and is being held without bail. Prosecutors said the decision to bring charges followed coordination among law enforcement agencies reviewing the case.

The case stems from the disappearance of Hernandez, who was reported missing from her home at age 13 nearly two years before her remains were found. Investigators later identified her body in a Tesla tied to Burke, discovered after the vehicle was towed from near a Hollywood Hills residence where he had been staying. Officials said employees at the tow yard opened the car after detecting a strong odor and found human remains inside on Sept. 8.

Authorities have said the body may have been inside the vehicle for weeks before being discovered. Autopsy results have been sealed, and investigators have spent months focusing on Burke as part of the probe. A search warrant was executed at his residence, where evidence was collected, and he later moved out of the property.

Burke’s attorneys strongly deny the allegations, saying he did not kill Hernandez and had no role in her death. They emphasized that no grand jury indictment has been returned and said they plan to aggressively contest the charges in court.

Investigators have also reviewed surveillance footage and other evidence tied to the timeline of the vehicle’s movements before it was abandoned. Meanwhile, individuals who knew Burke socially told investigators they believed Hernandez was older and thought she was a young adult at the time she was seen with him.