D4vd Ordered to Stand Trial for Murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez After Prosecutors Present Evidence of Sexual Abuse and Text Messages

A Los Angeles judge has ordered rapper and TikTok personality D4vd to face trial for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez following a five-day preliminary hearing in which prosecutors presented text messages, digital evidence, and testimony detailing alleged sexual abuse beginning when the victim was younger. The decision came after prosecutors built a detailed timeline spanning several years of interactions between David Anthony Burke—D4vd's legal name—and the teenager, culminating in her death in April.

Evidence Presented at Hearing

Prosecutors presented over three dozen explicit images recovered from Burke's phone showing him with Rivas Hernandez when she was between 13 and 14 years old. Additional photographs showing the pair kissing and in bed together were displayed in court. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Corey Farrell testified about the digital evidence, describing messages that prosecutors claim show a pattern of abuse and control. The victim's mother, Mercedes Martinez, left the courtroom during testimony describing these images.

Text message exchanges presented as evidence revealed details about a pregnancy when Rivas Hernandez was 13 years old. In one message from January 2024, Burke apologized for "putting her in that situation," and she responded that neither of them could care for the child. In another message recovered from his iCloud account, Burke wrote: "Let's make this abortion the last one until we have the real one." The victim later expressed remorse in her own messages, saying she regretted "taking the life of an innocent baby." Prosecutors allege Burke abused the teenager when she was 12 or 13 years old and he was 18 or 19.

Motive and Allegations

Prosecutors contend that Burke killed Rivas Hernandez when she threatened to expose their relationship and damage his lucrative music career, which generated at least 10 million dollars between 2023 and 2025. Text messages from April 22 and 23—the dates prosecutors believe the murder occurred—show the victim threatening to end their relationship. Police allege Burke dismembered the body in his garage in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood. When the body was discovered, a severed finger bore a tattoo reading "David" in red ink, matching an image found in his phone showing the victim with the same tattoo on her hand.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated during a press conference that prosecutors presented evidence methodically establishing "a detailed chronology, spanning several years" of Burke's interactions with the victim. "That ultimately led to the moment Celeste went to Burke's house and was never seen again," Hochman said. A hearing to read the charges against Burke has been scheduled for August 31, with no trial date yet set.