Who is D4vd? Singer arrested in 14-year-old's death started as video game streamer
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- When the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard last September, singer D4vd was on tour promoting his debut album.
The 21-year-old singer was on a path to stardom, pivoting from YouTube content creation to music.
After going viral, he opened for singer SZA before launching his own world tour.
To his fans, he was huge. To others, his connection to the death of Rivas Hernandez was the first time they heard of him.
On Thursday, the singer was arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of Rivas Hernandez. The LAPD said the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Monday for filing consideration.
D4vd's rise to viral fame as a Gen Z singer with millions of followers on social media didn't happen overnight, but it certainly came quick.
Born in Queens, New York, D4vd's legal name is David Anthony Burke. As a child, he moved to Houston, Texas.
His career didn't start with music. He began as a streamer playing games like Fortnite, hoping to gain fame and followers on YouTube before turning to original music.
Some of his songs went viral on TikTok, including his 2022 track "Romantic Homicide," which blew up on social media. It peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
He had signed a record deal and at 20 years old, just one year ago, he released his debut album, "Withered," sending him on his first world tour.
He spoke last August to ABC's Gio Benitez.
"It's such a blessing to be able to express myself and release my art and help people around the world, too, but I was homeschooled for the majority of high school, so I was at home - just video games, writing, poetry, reading books," D4vd said.
The last few shows of D4vd's tour, including those in San Francisco and Los Angeles, were canceled.
Shows on the European leg of the tour were also canceled.
ABC News contributed to this report.
