Matthew Switalski, 37, is charged with murder of teacher girlfriend Veronica Aguilar, 27, who was found stuffed in the trunk of a burned out car in the garage of his LA home: Suspect was on $600,000 bail for rape
- The burned remains of Veronica Aguilar, 27, were found in the trunk of a car last Wednesday in Los Angeles, California
- Matthew Swatilski, 37, her reported boyfriend, was arrested and charged with her murder the following day
- The former accountant for defense contractor Northrop Grumman was free on a $600,000 for multiple rape charges
An accountant for a top defense contractor has been charged with the murder of a teacher found stuffed in a burned-out car.
Matthew Switalski, 37, was reportedly living 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 awoken in the middle of the night to 'blood-curdling screams' coming from Switalski's home in the Quartz Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
Switalski was arrested late on Thursday in Kern County and charged with Aguilar's murder.
He had been employed as a cost and schedule controller for weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman until May, leaving shortly before he was freed on a $600,000 bail for several rape charges.
Veronica Aguilar's (pictured) burned remains were found in the trunk of a car in a garage of a home in Los Angeles 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 several counts of rape and sexual misconduct against a romantic partner
Firefighter crews battled the blaze at 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 as a 'person of interest' in the investigation last week. The home where Aguilar's remains were found was listed in his name.
Firefighters raced to the scene at around 8:20am on Wednesday to find the garage engulfed in flames, with the huge fire taking crews over an hour to control.
Once they battled through the blaze, crews were seen using a large circular saw to cut their way inside the trunk of the vehicle, where Aguilar's remains were discovered.
Her official cause of death has not been determined.
The fire was reportedly sparked by an 'explosion' in the garage, with officers initially responding to reports of a home explosion.
One neighbor said he raced outside after hearing the 'blood-curdling scream', but did not hear the sound again when they went to investigate.
Aguilar's family said they grew concerned for her safety after the school where she worked called them when she failed to show up for work.
They said she had been in a relationship for around a year, but they did not know much about the man she had been dating.
Aguilar and Switalski appear to have been in a relationship on social media, and her account includes several recent, smiling selfies with her alleged killer.
Aguilar and Switalski appeared to be in a relationship, and the teacher posed for numerous beaming selfies with her alleged killer
Aguilar was an elementary school teacher in Palmdale, California, and was reportedly living in the home where she was found last week
Switalski worked as a cost and schedule controller for weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman but left in May, shortly before he was freed on a $600,000 bail for several rape charges
Court records reported by the LA Times revealed that he was also arrested and charged with several counts of rape and sexual misconduct in the spring of 2023 against a romantic partner, who was not named.
Following his arraignment in June, he was reportedly freed on a $600,000 bail.
Neighbors said Switalski, a bible school graduate, rented out several rooms in the five-bedroom home to other employees at Northrop Grumman, none of whom were reportedly home at the time of the time of the fire.
He had worked as a cost and schedule controller for the defense contractor since 2010, according to his LinkedIn, but KABC reported he left the company in May.
The account also noted that he had graduated from Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2006, where he was a 'worship leader.'
The account notes that he stopped working with them in May, at the same time he reportedly stopped his employment with Northrop Grumman - one of the largest defense contractors in the world.
He is currently being held in custody on a $10 million bail.
Before his days in the defense industry, Switalski graduated from Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2006, where he was a 'worship leader'
Tributes have poured in for the elementary school teacher, who was described as having 'the best spirit' who 'always had a smile'
Agular's brother, Juan, said she worked in Palmdale, California as an elementary school teacher, and described her as having 'the best spirit' and 'always had a smile.'
Describing the aftermath of his sister's death as 'the darkest of times', he said in a GoFundMe: 'Her story is all over the news of her brutal death. Things will never be the same ever again. 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. She was an elementary school teacher, a UCLA graduate, and an amazing person in all.'
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