The Los Angeles DA's office says Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, was not pregnant when she died in April 2025, clarifying that a death-certificate amendment to "unknown" referred only to the year before her death. Messages introduced at a preliminary hearing showed Rivas discussed a pregnancy in late 2023 and an abortion in January 2024—events prosecutors say predated her death by more than a year. David Anthony Burke (D4vd) has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges and remains jailed as the case moves toward trial.
DA: 14-Year-Old Celeste Rivas Hernandez Was Not Pregnant When She Died, Officials Say
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: d4vd looks on during his arraignment for the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on April 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Nathan J. Hochman, Los Angeles County District Attorney, announced earlier in the day that David Anthony Burke, known as d4vd, was charged with the first-degree murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found decomposed in his car. (Photo by Ted Soqui - Pool/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office clarified that 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was not pregnant at the time of her death in April 2025, addressing months of public speculation after an amendment to her death certificate.
What the DA clarified
Prosecutors said the earlier change on Rivas' death certificate — which altered the pregnancy entry from "no" to "unknown" — referred only to whether she may have been pregnant at any point during the year before her death, not whether she was pregnant when she died.
Timeline and evidence
During the preliminary hearing for David Anthony Burke, who performs as D4vd, investigators presented messages recovered from Burke's phone in which Rivas discussed a pregnancy in late 2023 and an abortion in January 2024, when she was 13. Prosecutors say those events occurred more than a year before her death and therefore do not contradict the DA's finding that she was not pregnant at death.
Allegations and legal status
Burke has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Prosecutors allege he killed Rivas on April 23, 2025, after she threatened to reveal their relationship and alleged abuse. Rivas' remains were found on Sept. 8 inside the front trunk ("frunk") of Burke's impounded Tesla.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled on July 27 that prosecutors presented sufficient evidence for Burke to be held for trial after a five-day preliminary hearing that included testimony about phone records, forensic evidence and the timeline of Rivas' disappearance and death. Detective Corey Farell of the LAPD testified about messages recovered from Burke's device.
Next steps and penalties
Burke remains held without bail and is scheduled to return to court for a post-preliminary arraignment on Aug. 31. If convicted, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty; prosecutors have not said whether they will seek capital punishment.
Editorial note
This report presents facts established in court filings and testimony. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Out of respect for the victim and her family, details are reported factually and without sensationalism.
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