9 hours ago
6
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alt-pop singer D4vd has been charged with sexually abusing, murdering and mutilating the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposed remains were found in his apparently abandoned Tesla seven months ago, Los Angeles County prosecutors say.
The allegations in the disturbing case stretch back to 2023 — just a year after the singer’s first single made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The 21-year-old has pleaded not guilty and his attorneys have said he did not cause her death.
Here’s a look at the timeline of the investigation, the allegations and the career of D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke.
2022: Burke’s music goes viral
Burke, a content creator who began making his own music to accompany the video game montages he would post online, goes viral on TikTok for his song “Romantic Homicide.” The song ultimately peaks at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, and Burke signs with Darkroom and Interscope Records.
November, 2023: Prosecutors say the abuse begins
Burke allegedly begins to sexually abuse Rivas Hernandez, who was 13, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. She was described by authorities as a runaway, and court documents say she lived with Burke in Los Angeles.
English (US) ·