A suspect has been arrested by California authorities in connection with the death of 27-year old teacher Veronica Aguilar, after her body was found inside the trunk of a car by firefighters.
Matthew Switalski, 37, the homeowner, was arrested on Thursday night.
Aguilar’s body was reportedly found in the trunk of Switalski’s car at his home in the 41400 block of 38th Street West around 8:30 a.m.
Police reported that the two lived together and had been believed to have been dating.
Prosecutors revealed in court Tuesday that Aguilar was found with multiple stab wounds to her neck and chest, in addition to severe burns on her face.
They also say Switalski was seen leaving the burning home in a truck that had a trailer attached.
He was eventually tracked down to a campsite at Lake Isabella in Kern County, where he was discovered to be carrying $25,000 in cash. Investigators believe he had emptied a bank account that he shared with his father.
A neighbor had called 911 and reported hearing the bloodcurdling scream of a woman a few hours before a fire broke out.
Police records show that Switalski is being held on $2 million bail.
Authorities accuse Switalski of murdering Aguilar while he was free on bond after being arrested in connection with an unrelated sexual assault case.
Aguilar was a UCLA graduate and teacher at an elementary school in the Lancaster area.
“We miss her so much. She had the best spirit, she always had a smile. My family is heartbroken. My sister Veronica was so smart,” her brother Juan Aguilar wrote on a GoFundMe page he set up to help his family pay for her funeral.
Over $20,000 has been raised at the time of publication.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
