DNA expert ties slain 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez to blood stains found in D4vd's garage

LOS ANGELES — A DNA expert testified Thursday that evidence recovered from apparent blood stains in the garage of D4vd's Hollywood home was a strong DNA match for 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the girl he is charged with stabbing to death.Prosecutors are alleging that D4vd killed the girl then dismembered her in the garage after she threatened to reveal their sexual relationship and crater his career. Police technicians took the samples from a rubber floor mat, a rowing machine and a Tesla charger in the garage, and Los Angeles police criminalist Samantha Tosch testified that they matched Rivas Hernandez.The testimony came on the third day of a preliminary hearing where a judge will decide if Burke should stand trial on charges of murder, sexual abuse of a child and mutilation of a body. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said they will vigorously defend him.Tosch said the matches of several samples were "one septillion times more likely to occur if it originated from Celeste rather than anyone else in the population," and pointed out the number had 24 zeros.Prosecutors had previously said in a court filing that her DNA was found in the garage, but the evidence hadn't previously been shown publicly.Testing was also done on a trash bag in the garage and stained cleaning wipes inside it. Tosch said the bag swab showed a mixture of DNA from four people, at least two of them male — and one of them that she said was Burke's.Rivas Hernandez's DNA was found on the wipes but not the bag. Burke's was not on the wipes.Another police criminalist testified that most of the garage stains were not visible to the naked eye and were uncovered by a chemical test that makes the area glow blue. A photo displayed in court showed the rubber mat cloaked in bright blue.Tosch conceded under questioning from the defense that she couldn't say with certainty that the DNA profiles came from blood, and could've been from touch."It's possible that they did not come from blood?" Burke's lawyer, Blair Berk, asked."I cannot with any certainty say that they came from blood," Tosch replied.Under further questioning by Berk, Tosch also acknowledged that it can't be determined how DNA got on a spot, and that it's even possible for it to transfer between people. And she acknowledged there's no way to clearly establish how long the DNA had been there.Burke's lawyers have previously given little indication of any counternarrative they may present