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LANCASTER, Calif. – Loved ones are devastated after the body of a young teacher was found in the trunk of a burned vehicle at a residence in Lancaster last month. The homeowner was later taken into custody and is facing murder charges.
On Dec. 20 at about 8:30 a.m., emergency crews responded to a residential fire in the Quartz Hill neighborhood on the 41400 block of 38th Street West. Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke and fire coming from the garage, with two charred vehicles located inside, KTLA reported.
In the trunk of one of the fire-damaged automobiles, the body of 27-year-old Veronica Aguilar was discovered. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
No one else was at the residence, which was heavily damaged during the blaze.
The next day, LASD homicide detectives arrested the homeowner, Matthew Switalski, 37, as a suspect in Aguilar’s death. He was taken into custody in Kern County.
Aguilar was living at Switalski’s home when she was killed. The two were believed to be in a dating relationship at one point, authorities said.
According to neighbors, Switalski was previously employed by Northrop Grumman and reportedly rented out several rooms of the home to other employees.
Switalski was booked in jail on murder charges and is being held without bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 18.
Aguilar grew up in Southern California and graduated from UCLA. At the time of her death she was a teacher at Anaverde Hills School, which has students from kindergarten through 8th grade.
“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.”
On Wednesday, KTLA reported that family, friends and community members gathered at Anaverde Park in Palmdale to honor Aguilar.
“It’s a huge loss to the community, a huge loss to the school,” said Chris Welch, a parent of a student at Anaverde Hills School. “She was an awesome teacher and it was devastating to my kids and everybody else that she tragically passed.”
During the vigil, many current and former students gathered to honor Aguilar. Several of them came with handmade signs filled with photos of the beloved teacher, KTLA reported.
“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.”
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