Murder suspect D4vd was transferred to the LA County Men’s Central Jail on Monday night.
The 21-year-old singer – real name David Anthony Burke – was arrested last Thursday in connection with 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death. At the time, he was held without bail at LAPD 77th Street Station Jail.
He was moved and separated from the general population this week due to his high-profile status, TMZ reported on Tuesday. The jail houses criminals of all security levels and has an inmate capacity of 5,640.
Hernandez’s dismembered remains were found in the music artist’s Tesla last September, but it wasn’t until this month that the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide.
Rivas’s family broke their silence with a heartfelt statement on Tuesday, after cancelling a press conference the day prior.
‘We would like to thank the Los Angeles Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office for their hard work,’ their attorney Patrick Steinfeld shared in a statement with TMZ.
‘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.’
Murder suspect D4vd was transferred to the LA County Men’s Central Jail on Monday night; pictured in March 2025
The 21-year-old singer – real name David Anthony Burke – was arrested last Thursday in connection with 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death
‘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.’
Rivas’s family was supposed to hold a press conference outside the Hall of Justice in Downtown Los Angeles after D4vd’s first court appearance on Monday, before they abruptly cancelled. On Tuesday, Steinfeld, told TMZ that the family was too devastated to speak.
‘The Rivas Hernandez family are very private individuals who were overwhelmed by the day’s events. They were concerned for their safety when they heard about the bomb threat. They were intimidated by the onslaught of reporters and the aggressiveness of some camera people,’ Steinfeld said in a statement.
He added that the family was emotionally drained and needed to take some time after hearing the shocking details that were presented during D4vd’s arraignment.
The family reportedly came out to talk to the media after a while, but the reporters had already left by then.
Steinfeld added, ‘I would never leave my clients when they need my support or rush them to appear on camera when they are tired, crying and incredibly sad.’
TMZ previously reported that the examiner had difficulty determining the manner of death due to her body’s late stage of decomposition.
Police say the vehicle where Hernandez’s remains were found was registered to D4vd’s address in Texas.
He was officially named as a suspect in the killing in February, per unsealed court documents.
Based on testimony from her friends and family, it is believed Hernandez was in a romantic relationship with him at the time of her death.
An image of Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail
Following last week’s arrest, the music artist was held without bail at LAPD 77th Street Station Jail. He was moved and separated from the general population this week due to his high-profile status, TMZ reported on Tuesday
A memorial was constructed in Lake Elsinore, CA after D4vd’s arrest
The victim’s family said she was last seen in spring 2024, when she left her Lake Elsinore home at age 13. They noted, however, that it was not the first time she had run away.
Law enforcement discovered the body in the trunk of the impounded vehicle after reports of an offensive odor.
She was found days after what would have been her 15th birthday, but police believe she likely died much earlier, with the county medical examiner saying the remains were ‘severely decomposed.’
According to TMZ, she was found wearing a tube top, black leggings, a metal stud earring and a metal bracelet in the shape of the letter W.
Police later informed D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, that his Tesla was in an impound lot amid gruesome circumstances.
‘D4vd has been informed about what’s happened,’ a spokesperson for the singer told NBC Los Angeles at the time. ‘And although he is still on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities.’
Based on testimony from her friends and family, it is believed Hernandez was in a romantic relationship with D4vd at the time of her death
It’s unclear whether the singer, known for hits like Here with Me and Romantic Homicide, had loaned his Tesla to someone or if it had been stolen.
Police said the automobile had been at the impound lot for a few days, and the body placed in a bag inside the front trunk of the car.
Footage captured by ABC 7 showed police surrounding the car before it was eventually towed away.
It had Texas plates and had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills prior to landing in the impound lot.
