The singer D4vd was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of teenage girl whose decomposed body was found in the trunk of his abandoned Tesla last year, authorities in Los Angeles said Thursday.
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The “Romantic Homicide” singer, 21, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was being held without bail, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.
The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Monday, the department said.
On Sept. 8, police found the remains of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez in the trunk of a Tesla impounded at Hollywood Tow. Officers were called to the lot because of a foul odor coming from the vehicle.
Court filings from earlier this year said that Burke was the subject of a grand jury investigation in Rivas’ death.
Rivas was reported missing from Lake Elsinore, southeast of Los Angeles, last year. She was last seen on April 5, 2024, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said the girl was wearing black leggings, a tube top, a yellow metal chain bracelet and stud earrings when she was found. Law enforcement sources told NBC News that the remains were not intact. The medical examiner said it appeared she had been dead in the car for an extended period of time.
When news first broke of the remains being found, Burke was on his Withered World Tour. A spokesperson said at the time that he was aware of what happened and was “fully cooperating with the authorities.”
Burke later canceled the rest of his U.S. tour.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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