An accountant at a leading defense firm has been charged with the murder of a teacher who was found stuffed in a burnt out car.
Matthew Switalski, 37, reportedly lived with his alleged victim, Veronica Aguilar, 27, in the home where her charred remains were discovered in the garage on Wednesday.
Neighbors said they were awakened in the middle of the night by “blood-curdling screams” coming from Switalski's home in the Quartz Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
Switalski was arrested late Thursday in Kern County and charged with Aguilar's murder.
He was employed as a cost and schedule controller for weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman until May and left the company shortly before he was released on $600,000 bail on multiple rape charges.
The burned remains of Veronica Aguilar (pictured) were found in the trunk of a car in the garage of a Los Angeles home on Wednesday
Matthew Swatilski, 37 (right, pictured with Aguilar) was reportedly in a relationship with the teacher he allegedly murdered. This spring he was also arrested and charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual misconduct against a romantic partner
Firefighters battled the fire in Switalski's home for over an hour before they were able to enter the garage and used a circular saw before discovering Aguilar's charred remains
Switalski was quickly named a “person of interest” in the investigation last week. The home where Aguilar's remains were found was listed in his name.
Firefighters rushed to the scene around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday to find the garage engulfed in flames and it took crews more than an hour to bring the large fire under control.
After fighting through the fire, crews were seen using a large circular saw to cut a path into the trunk of the vehicle, where Aguilar's remains were discovered.
Her official cause of death has not been determined.
The fire was reportedly started by an “explosion” in the garage, with officers initially responding to reports of a house explosion.
A neighbor said he ran outside after hearing the blood-curdling scream, but didn't hear the sound again when they went to search.
Aguilar's family said they became increasingly concerned about her safety after the school where she worked called her when she didn't show up for work.
They said she had been in a relationship for about a year, but they didn't know much about the man she was with.
Aguilar and Switalski appear to have had a relationship on social media, and her account features several recent smiling selfies with her alleged killer.
Aguilar and Switalski appeared to be in a relationship, and the teacher posed for numerous glowing selfies with her alleged killer
Aguilar was an elementary school teacher in Palmdale, California, and reportedly lived in the home where she was found last week
Switalski worked as a cost and schedule controller for weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman but left the company in May, shortly before he was released on $600,000 bail on multiple rape charges
Court records reported by the LA Times showed he was also arrested in spring 2023 and charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual misconduct against an unnamed romantic partner.
After his arraignment in June, he was reportedly released on $600,000 bail.
Neighbors said Switalski, a Bible college graduate, rented several rooms in the five-bedroom house to other Northrop Grumman employees, none of whom were reportedly home at the time of the fire.
According to his LinkedIn, he had worked as a cost and schedule controller for the defense contractor since 2010, but KABC reported that he left the company in May.
The report also noted that he graduated from Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2006, where he served as a “worship leader.”
The report said he stopped working with them in May. At the same time, he also reportedly left his job at Northrop Grumman – one of the largest defense contractors in the world.
He is currently in custody on $10 million bail.
Prior to his time in the defense industry, Switalski graduated from Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2006, where he served as a worship leader.
There were numerous tributes for the primary school teacher, who was described as having “the best spirits” and “always smiling”.
Agular's brother Juan said she worked as an elementary school teacher in Palmdale, California, and described her as having “the best vibes” and “always smiling.”
He described the aftermath of his sister's death as “the darkest of times” and said in a GoFundMe: “Her story is everywhere in the news of her brutal death.” Things will never be the same again. We miss her so much.
“She had the best mood, she always had a smile.” My family is heartbroken.
“My sister Veronica was so smart. She was an elementary school teacher, a graduate of UCLA and an overall great person.”