Loved ones are devastated after the body of a young teacher was found in the trunk of a burned vehicle in Lancaster.
Family, friends and community members gathered at Anaverde Park in Palmdale to honor Veronica Aguilar, 27, a second-grade teacher found murdered on Dec. 20.
“It’s a huge loss to the community, a huge loss to the school,” said Chris Welch, a parent at the school where Aguilar taught. “She was an awesome teacher and it was devastating to my kids and everybody else that she tragically passed.”
Emergency crews first responded to a house fire in the Quartz Hill neighborhood on the 41400 block of 38th Street West around 8:30 a.m.
Arriving firefighters found heavy smoke and fire coming from the garage. Two charred vehicles were found inside along with Aguilar’s body in the trunk of a car, said LASD. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the time, no other occupants were located inside the home which was heavily damaged from the blaze.
The next day, detectives arrested the homeowner, Matthew Switalski, 37, as a suspect in Aguilar’s death. He was taken into custody in Kern County.
The two were believed to be dating at one point. Aguilar was living at Switalski’s home when she was killed.
Neighbors told KTLA that Switalski was previously employed by Northrop Grumman and reportedly rented out several rooms of his house to Northrop Grumman employees.
Aguilar grew up in Southern California and graduated from UCLA before becoming a teacher at Anaverde Hills School.
“Great dedication to boys and girls and great dedication to making a difference,” said Regina Rossall, Superintendent of the Westside Union School District. “A tremendous loss. Young energy, she coached for some of our athletic teams, always willing to help.”
Many gathered to honor Aguilar, including her current and former students. Handmade signs filled with photos of Aguilar were seen at the candlelight vigil.
“I volunteered for her for the whole year when my son was in her class and she made a very big impact on my son and on me,” said Trivina George, a parent of Aguilar’s former student. “She became more than just my son’s teacher, she became my friend. It’s just terrible what’s happened. We’re just trying our best to get through it.”
“We’re a small family and now we’re even smaller,” said Juan Aguilar, the victim’s brother during the Wednesday night vigil. “We are heartbroken and there is a hole in our hearts that will never be filled.”
“We’re never going to forget my sister,” said Alejandro Aguilar, the victim’s brother. “She will always have a spot in our hearts.”
Switalski was arrested on murder charges and is being held without bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for March 4.