Family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez makes first public statement after D4vd charged with teen’s murder

“We miss her deeply. All we want is justice for Celeste,” the teen’s family shared in a statement.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family released their first public statement on Tuesday after singer D4vd was charged with the 14-year-old’s murder and pleaded not guilty.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the teenage girl who was found dismembered in a Tesla belonging to musician D4vd last year, released their first public statement on Tuesday after the alt-pop singer was charged with first-degree murder in the 14-year-old’s death.

“We would like to thank the Los Angeles Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office for their hard work. 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,” the family wrote. “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.”

Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family shared a new photo of the teen girl as they released their first public comment after murder charges were filed in her death.
Steinfeld Law Firm

Celeste’s family attended D4vd’s first court appearance on Monday afternoon. They were expected to provide a statement through their attorney outside of the courtroom, but the press conference was canceled.

D4vd was formally charged with murder and other counts in connection with the “brutal and horrific” killing of Celeste on Monday.

The singer D4vd was charged with murder and other counts in connection with the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, prosecutors said.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman outlined the charges at a press conference, where he was accompanied by Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.

Additional charges against D4vd include “continuous sexual acts, lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old, and mutilating the human remains of a body,” according to the district attorney.

D4vd made his first appearance in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom for his arraignment on Monday and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He will remain in custody on no bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday.

“The 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. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence,” his attorneys wrote in a statement on Monday.

Hochman says D4vd had a long-term sexual relationship with the underage girl while he was an adult, and he killed her to protect his career — dismembering her and leaving her body in his car.

“These charges include the most serious charges that a D.A.’s office can bring — that is, first-degree murder with special circumstances,” Hochman told reporters. “The special circumstances being lying in wait, committing this crime for financial gain, or murdering a witness in an investigation.”

(Left) L.A. County District Attorney’s Office | (Right) Steinfeld Law Firm

The singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested on Thursday in connection with Celeste’s death.

The 21-year-old singer faces a maximum sentence of life, without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, Hochman said. The DA said his office will decide whether to seek the death penalty at a later time.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman outlined the charges against the singer D4vd at a morning press conference.

Hochman says investigators have physical, forensic and digital evidence proving that when Celeste threatened to publicly expose D4vd for having a sexual relationship with her, D4vd invited her to his home, killed her with a sharp instrument, then cut her body into pieces. All, Hochman alleges, to protect his entertainment career.

“This murder was committed for financial gain, as the evidence will show in court. The financial gain was for Mr. Burke to maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening,” Hochman said.

The teen’s dismembered body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to the singer last fall.

D4vd has been arrested on suspicion of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Here’s timeline of how the investigation unfolded.

Sources told ABC News the arrest was based on evidence and probable cause that was developed. Last week, the medical examiner’s office ruled the teen’s death a homicide.

“The Burkes are not surprised but are terribly disappointed that the District Attorney chose to charge David,” the singer’s parents said in a statement provided to ABC7 by their attorney. “Nevertheless, they support and stand by him one hundred percent.”

Throughout the seven-month investigation, LAPD has faced criticism for how it has handled the case and for its decision not to provide details, McDonnell noted at Monday’s news conference.

Investigators believe Celeste was dead for many months before her remains were found.

“I want to be clear about something — my duty is not to fuel speculation, it’s to deliver justice,” the police chief said. “And that requires patience and discipline on everybody’s part. This investigation was driven by a single purpose: to secure justice for Celeste Rivas and for those who loved her.

“We had to be certain that nothing we said or did would ever jeopardize this case,” McDonnell said. “The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared.”

Singer D4vd’s rising career has now been overshadowed by his arrest in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Celeste, a reported runaway from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, was last known to be alive on April 23, 2025, when she arrived at D4vd’s rented home in the Hollywood Hills, according to McDonnell. She was never heard from again, Hochman said.

April 23 is the same day tickets for D4vd’s world tour went on pre-sale. Prosecutors believe Celeste’s body was mutilated on May 5, and her remains weren’t found until months later, in September.

“During the course of our investigation, detectives learned that she had been involved in a sexual relationship with Mr. Burke when she was a minor and he was an adult,” the police chief said.

D4vd — who first went viral on TikTok, where he has nearly 4 million followers — had been on his “Withered” world tour when the teen’s body was discovered in his vehicle. The last few shows of the tour, including those in San Francisco and Los Angeles, were canceled.

ABC News contributed to this report.

Now that charges have been filed, many are wondering what will happen next. ABC7 spoke to legal experts about their analysis of the charges and explanation of the special circumstances.