Young singer d4vd has been charged with first-degree murder and premeditation in connection with the death of a 14-year-old girl who had been missing for over a year before her body was found in his Tesla.
The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announced on Monday, 20 Apr 2026 GMT+7, that 21-year-old famous singer "David" (d4vd) has been charged with first-degree murder and premeditation, along with several other charges related to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposed body was found seven months ago in his abandoned Tesla.
The singer, whose real name is David Berg, was arrested last Thursday after the girl's body was discovered following reports that she had been missing in Southern California for over a year.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated in a press conference that David faces charges including first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual assault, lewd acts with a person under 14 years old, and corpse desecration.
The prosecutors said the case is being reviewed by the violent crimes division, which is tasked with determining whether the facts and evidence are sufficient to file criminal charges.
David's legal team said they intend to "fully defend David's innocence," adding that the singer "has been detained solely as a suspect."
"Let us be clear: the actual evidence in this case will prove that David Berg did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and was not responsible for her death," the statement from David's lawyers said, adding, "At this time, no indictment has been issued by a grand jury, nor have any criminal complaints been filed."
Monday's developments come nearly two years after Celeste's family filed their third and final missing person report, following repeated requests for help in early 2024 when Celeste, then only 13, disappeared.
In September 2025, just one day after Celeste's 15th birthday, her dissected and decomposed body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to d4vd, while he was on a world tour in Minneapolis promoting his debut album "Withered."
Authorities have not yet determined the exact time of Celeste's death, although court records indicate she was 14 when she died. Additionally, photographs obtained by CNN suggest she was alive nearly a year after she was first reported missing.
Neighbors said the Tesla appeared abandoned on a street near d4vd's Hollywood Hills home. The car was later towed to a garage, where workers alerted police after detecting a strong foul odor emanating from the vehicle.
Police arrested the singer on 16 Apr at his Hollywood Hills residence, less than a mile from the garage where the girl's body was found in his car. David is currently held without bail.
Several clues suggesting a relationship between Celeste and d4vd emerged even before she was reported missing. In January 2024, the two appeared together on a Twitch livestream, where they joked until early morning before d4vd laughed and said, "Delete everything."
Between January and March 2024, photos surfaced of the singer stepping out of a black Tesla just a few blocks from Celeste's home. A local teenager posted these images on TikTok, and CNN later verified the location and timing of the photos.
In June 2024, photos showed Celeste backstage at a sold-out d4vd concert at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. Private investigators also found additional images suggesting the two were together in late December 2024 and early January 2025.
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Source:cnn