A man was arrested for murder after a woman’s body was found in the trunk of a burned vehicle in Lancaster.
The suspect was identified as Matthew Switalski, 37, by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Switalski is the owner of the home where the victim, Veronica Aguilar, 27, was found, authorities said. Neighbors said the two were believed to be dating at one point.
On Dec. 20, emergency crews responded to a fire burning at a home in 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. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the time, no other occupants were located inside the residence. Video from the scene shows the garage and parts of the home were heavily damaged from the blaze.
Switalski was later determined to be a suspect in the woman’s death and was located in Kern County. He was taken into custody on murder charges.
Residents in the quiet neighborhood were shaken after hearing the news. One neighbor told KTLA she heard a woman screaming in the early hours of the morning.
“Around 2 a.m., I heard a blood-curdling scream,” recalled a neighbor, who did not wish to be identified. “I had just opened my window after I was finished with some work and when I went to go check, I didn’t hear it anymore.”
Neighbors told KTLA that Switalski was previously employed by Northrop Grumman and reportedly rented out several rooms of his house to Northrop Grumman employees.
The events leading up to Aguilar’s death remain unclear as authorities continue investigating the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call the LASD’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be provided to “Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.