QUARTZ HILL, CA – Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigators have identified 37-year-old Matthew Switalski as a person of interest in a devastating incident that occurred on Wednesday. A young school teacher’s body was discovered in the trunk of a burned-out car in the Quartz Hill area.
The disturbing incident was first reported early Wednesday morning in the 41400 block of 38th West Street in Quartz Hill. Local residents reported hearing a woman’s screams and an explosion before the resulting fire. Authorities arrived at the scene around 8:20 a.m. and made the grim discovery.
While speaking to reports, a man who claimed to be the victim’s uncle declined to reveal her identity but described her as a reserved 27-year-old woman from Quartz Hill. She was an elementary school teacher at a school in Palmdale. The school had reached out to her family after she failed to appear for work on the day of the incident.
According to the uncle, the victim was in a romantic relationship for about a year, although he had limited information about the man. He noted that neighbors reported the boyfriend owned the home where the burnt-out car was found and rented out several rooms.
As of now, investigators are searching for Switalski and the homeowner, neither of whom have yet made contact. The sheriff’s department clarified that Switalski is currently wanted only for questioning.