On December 20, 2023, firefighters were called to a house fire in the Quartz Hill neighborhood near Lancaster, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Upon their arrival, they discovered the body of a 27-year-old elementary school teacher, identified as Veronica Aguilar from Palmdale, California, in the trunk of a car that had been consumed by the fire. The vehicle was located in the garage of a residence on 38th Street West. Neighbors reported hearing a woman screaming and an explosion before the fire ignited.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department initiated an arson and homicide investigation and arrested 37-year-old Matthew Switalski. He was taken into custody on murder charges.

The residence where Aguilar was found is registered to Switalski, a former employee at Northrop Grumman, an aerospace company. He rented out several rooms in the five-bedroom home. Switalski, allegedly in a romantic relationship with the victim, was not present at the property when Aguilar was found. 

Last Spring, judicial documents indicate that Switalski was detained and faced multiple charges of rape and sexual impropriety involving someone he was romantically linked with. Following his court appearance in June, he was granted freedom under a $600,000 bail.

A man who identified himself as the teacher’s uncle described her as a kind-hearted and reserved individual. He expressed concern when she did not appear for work, prompting the school to contact her family. He noted that she had been in a relationship for approximately a year, though details about her partner were scarce.

Switalski is being held in Lancaster on $2 million bail.

Aguilar’s brother Juan Aguilar created a GoFundMe page to raise money for her funeral.